3 factors in children's brain development that parents should not ignore
If you want your child's brain to develop well, eating enough nutrients is not enough, the following 3 factors will also have a great influence.
The development of the child's brain always attracts the attention of parents. Because the brain is related to the child's intelligence, behavior, cognition, and long-term learning.
Recently, a research team discovered three factors that affect brain development in children:sleep time, exercise time, and screen time(technological devices). The research results were published in the journal The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.
Accordingly, scientists reviewed data from more than 4,500 children aged 8-11 at 20 locations in the United States participating in a research project called "Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development". The children also performed 6 tests on language skills, memory, concentration...
According to Time, the research team compared sleep time, exercise and screen time with the criteria that children aged 8-11 should not look at screens for more than 2 hours/day, sleep 9-11 hours/night and spend 1 hour/day exercising.
Of the more than 4,500 children, only 5% met these three recommendations, while 51% got enough sleep, 9-11 hours a night, 37% had less than 2 hours of screen time per day, and 18% exercised at least 1 hour a day.
Researchers found that children who met all three recommendations for screen time, exercise, and sleep had better overall cognition, including memory, attention, and language.
Additionally, the 5% of children who met the recommendations scored higher on tests. In addition, those who met the sleep and screen time targets also scored higher than those who did not.
Sleep, exercise or time spent on technology affect the future?
This research may not be entirely new, but it is the first time that research has looked at the combined impact of three factors on cognition and learning outcomes in school-age children.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, school-age children need 9-12 hours of sleep per night to be at their best. When children and adolescents get enough sleep, they will have better mental and physical health, attention, learning, and memory.
In addition to fighting obesity, exercise also helps improve children's academic performance. Exercise increases the amount of oxygen in the brain, which is good for cognition, enhances concentration and attention, and affects children's attitudes and behavior at school.
Children using technology devices such as phones, tablets, computers has many benefits, but that only happens when your children use them appropriately and wisely. Using too much technology is not good for children, even children. When children are dependent on technology devices, their health will decline, their motor skills will slow down, and their learning efficiency will be poor.