PORTLAND -- Toddlers who miss regular naps are at an increased risk for developing mood disorders later in life, according to a new study.
Researchers in Colorado found that depriving toddlers of even a single daily nap resulted in more anxiety, lower levels of joy and interest, and reduced problem-solving abilities.
"I have parents think, 'How do you function when you don't sleep?' All of those things that happen to us as adults happen to kids, but on a more extreme level because kids don't have the coping skills we have as adults," explained Darci Walker PsyD.
Researchers found over time, those feelings of anxiety just become the norm.
"It's like a bad habit. I guess this is what life is always like. I'm always frustrated, I don't know what it's like to not be frustrated. So they don't think it's wrong," said developmental pediatrician Dr. Martine Richardson Sacks.
The effects may also be more permanent, putting them at a risk for lifelong, mood-related problems.
"That becomes the automatic reaction," Walker said. "The child learns to get his needs met through that frustration. As the brain is forming, these emotional experiences during a toddler's life are impacting the structure of the brain. They're essentially building the people they're going to become."
The researchers said it's important not to force your kids to take a nap. However, at least make sure that they get quiet time throughout the day. Even breaking it up into two 20-minute pieces will work for the child and you.
