A worrying trend concerning Singaporean preschoolers has come to the fore. According to the latest study by the National Institute of Education (NIE), preschoolers are getting less physical activity and sleep during the pandemic as they are spending more time with their devices.
In fact, your little ones are clocking more than twice the amount of screen time recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
While this trend has been picking up in the last few years, it has taken a turn for the worse due to the pandemic.
Digital Media Use Is Affecting Brain Development Of Preschoolers
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COVID-19 prompted physical schools to shift to the online mode. So, toddlers and children worldwide ended up spending more time on their tablets and other onscreen devices.
There were concerns about the effects of such media use on a child’s cognitive, social and emotional development. Even WHO and the American Academy of Pediatrics laid down guidelines seeking to restrict the use of screen media for young kids.
Despite these guidelines, researchers and developmental psychologists are of the opinion that digital media use, when used properly can actually have a positive impact on a child’s brain development.
But the study points out some concerns:
- There is a lack of research to denote ‘high-quality’ media use.
- What types of media content are considered healthy for a child’s development?
- There is no clarity on the kind of social context which promotes the consumption of media that can help in a child’s development.
Also, it is important to understand and identify the reason of use of digital media by children. That’s because without understanding what toddlers and young kids are currently exposed to through digital media and the context of their use, it is difficult to derive any conclusion.
The Propose Of The Study
In order to fill this gap, the research, therefore, proposes two studies which aim to:
- Understand how young Singaporean kids between the age of 2 and 6 years use digital media. This can be done through semi-structured in-depth interviews and observation of children.
- Develop and psychometrically validate a quality of media use questionnaire. This can be used to assess whether media use habits among young children are fruitful to their development or otherwise.
Proposed Results Of The Study
The above studies will provide data to understand the use of digital media on toddlers and young kids.
- It will result in a set of recommendations for media and educational content developers
- Will provide a checklist for high-quality media content for parents and even preschool educators
- It will reveal a typology of online media content that is exposed to young kids in Singapore
- There will also be a psychometrically validated measurement instrument to assess the healthy digital media use among young children for researchers
Sleep And Child Brain Development: Toddlers Vs Preschoolers
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Sleep is important for the proper growth and development of your child.
Infants And Toddlers
As you may know, children aged 1-2 years need a minimum of 11-14 hours of sleep over a 24-hour period. You will find that by the end of the second year,
naps typically decrease to once a day, which may last up to three hours.
This sleep and nap window helps infants and toddlers to regain strength, feel refreshed and develop motor and cognitive skills with better understanding.
Now, toddlers often do not look forward to bedtime because they don’t want to be separated from their parents or even miss out on fun activities, which they think may be going on while they are asleep. But it is crucial to set a nap time that works best for you and them in order for them to feel refreshed throughout the day.
Preschoolers
On the other hand, if your child is a preschooler (ages 3 to 5), they will need between 10 and 13 hours of sleep over a 24-hour period.
By this time, you will find your kids napping less frequently. However, most preschoolers can still benefit from nap time.
Research proves that preschoolers that nap during daytime are able to stay fit, have a better mood, and learn faster.
The best way to do this is by helping them establish a
fixed time for napping. If they don’t want to take a nap, then set aside some quiet time for them.
What Is The Link Between Sleep And Child Brain Development?
There are
studies that prove that kids who don’t get enough sleep end up with learning problems and
behavioural issues that may affect a child’s life forever.
A
Canadian study published in 2008 in the journal,
Sleep highlighted that children who get less than 10 hours of sleep every night before they turned three, were more likely to develop language and reading problems among other brain disorders as they grow older.
In another
Millennium Cohort Study done to investigate the relationship between sleep and child brain development, irregular bedtimes from 0-3 years negatively affected the reading skills, spatial awareness in children and math skills.
The study highlighted the need to for regular bedtime, especially for kids between the ages of 1 and 3 years.
Thus, it is very important that your child gets healthy sleep every day. But if you notice that you are unable to set a nap routine, there are things you can do to change this situation.
3 Ways To Encourage Your Child To Get Sleep
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Shut off the devices
See to it, that your kids are away from all the devices. The blue light emitted from the screen can wake up the brain and make it harder to fall asleep.
In fact, you should shut digital devices off an hour before you want your child to go to sleep. Keep your phones in “Do not disturb” mode or place them away from you while you are sleeping.
Buy them an alarm clock instead, if they need their phones and tablets to wake them up in the morning.
Maintain the same sleep routine on weekends
Make sure to follow a fixed sleep routine every day. While there can be a minor stretch here and there, but remind your kids about their bedtime and what they need to do.
For instance going off to sleep around 8-9 pm even during the weekend will help them develop a body clock.
Limit food and drink before bedtime
Remember, your kids require uninterrupted sleep. So make sure they don’t overstuff themselves right before their bedtime.
Water intake right before bedtime can also disrupt their sleep because they will wake up in the middle of the night to urinate.
Also check labels of beverages, there are some which may contain caffeine and are not suitable for your child.
Note: Consult a doctor if your child is suffering from an unexpected number of awakenings and unexpected nighttime behaviour.
So, is your child getting enough sleep?
Source: NIE, Harvard Health Publishing
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