Recently, research released by the journal Lancet Child & Adolescent Health brought some interesting results about the cognitive development of children. children who do not sleep good. According to researchers, those who do not have at least 9 hours of sleep a day have a very harmful impact on the brain. This can lead to considerable complications for the future of the little ones.
Read more: Video game is prescribed by doctors to treat ADHD
see more
Better Health in Two Days: The Surprising Effectiveness of End Workouts…
Ministry of Health expands HIV treatment with new drug…
Significant results were found in specific brain regions of children ages 6 to 12 who sleep less than nine hours a day. In this way, it was possible to notice how much their cognitive development in areas such as memory, intelligence and well-being was inferior in relation to those who sleep up to 9 to 12 hours.
The search
During the studies, the data of more than 8200 children aged 9 to 10 who were enrolled in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study were examined. Furthermore, with this information, they examined MRI scan results, medical records, and questions answered by participants and their guardians.
After these analyses, it was discovered that children who had insufficient sleep (less than nine hours a day) had less gray matter or less volume in certain areas of the brain. Even the results persisted for a few years, which suggests that this habit can bring long-term damage.
Furthermore, when the behaviors of these volunteers were evaluated, the research found that the participants who got enough sleep did not have their sleep patterns altered upon entering the adolescence. The other group, over the years, tended to sleep less and less.
Factors that affect sleep
The researchers also took into account other determinants of sleep quality, such as socioeconomic status, gender, and pubertal timing. As such, they tried to keep the two groups as close as possible to help better understand the long-term impact of lack of sleep on preteens.
Still, scholars emphasize the importance of further studies to find habits or measures that can improve sleep and reverse neurological damage.
