Spanish Study Into Child Sleep Patterns

 

Research from the University of Barcelona has shown how children between the ages of 5 and 11 require at least 9 hours of sleep per night in order for them to function at their best when they are at school the next day.

The study examined the links between sleep and intellectual performance and found that children who regularly missed out on their sleep lacked the core skills to keep their brains and attention engaged whist they were at school during the day.

The children generally performed at their best when they were getting between 9 and 11 hours sleep each night.

The Spanish results mirrored some of the findings from a similar study by the United States last year, which revealed how many children who suffer with their behaviour and may even bully others are often not getting enough sleep at night.

Previous studies have also shown that children who do not get the recommended amount of sleep each day also display similar signs to the behavioural condition known as ADHD.