{"id":22206,"date":"2020-11-13T12:11:22","date_gmt":"2020-11-13T11:11:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/babywellnessfoundation.org\/segreti-nanna\/capitolo-1-tutti-i-vantaggi-di-una-buona-della-nanna\/"},"modified":"2025-08-06T15:12:48","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T14:12:48","slug":"chapter-1-all-the-benefits-of-a-good-sleep","status":"publish","type":"segreti-nanna","link":"https:\/\/babywellnessfoundation.org\/en\/segreti-nanna\/chapter-1-all-the-benefits-of-a-good-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 1 \u2013 All the Benefits of a Good Sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is a direct correlation between sleep duration and a child\u2019s bone growth<\/strong>. Thanks to specific mechanisms\u2014such as the release of growth hormone (somatotropin), a molecule that signals cells to multiply\u2014bones grow in length and the skeletal diameters expand. This hormone is produced by the pituitary gland, located at the base of the skull, and it is most active during sleep.<\/p>\n

In 2011, a research group at Emory University in Atlanta observed (1) that there are specific periods when children\u2019s height increases more rapidly\u2014true growth spurts\u2014which coincide with times when children sleep longer during the day and take more naps. Naturally, this doesn\u2019t mean one can force a child to sleep more to make them taller. The maximum height a person can reach is determined by their genes, and you cannot force sleep on someone who doesn\u2019t need it. However, ensuring restful and sufficient sleep certainly helps children grow and express their full genetic potential.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Sleep also regulates the balance of another hormone: insulin<\/strong>, which controls sugar metabolism. This is particularly important in early childhood, a time when the body is learning to manage its energy resources. Children who get less sleep than they need during their first years of life are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and obesity as they grow (2).<\/p>\n

Good sleep is also essential for the development of a child\u2019s immune system<\/strong>. A lack of sleep leads to a reduced ability to fight infections and an excessive production of cytokines<\/strong> \u2014 molecules that contribute to the onset of inflammatory diseases (3).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And what about brain development, cognitive abilities, memory, language learning, and emotional regulation? It\u2019s something adults experience too: after a good night\u2019s sleep, we feel more relaxed and clear-minded, our memory works better. For the newborn\u2019s brain\u2014which is still developing and refining the network of connections between its various areas\u2014sleep plays an even more crucial role. Good sleep is a cornerstone of baby wellness<\/em>!<\/p>\n

In 2015, a research team from Stanford University in California (4) found that babies aged 6 to 12 months who learned a new game and then napped for at least 30 minutes within four hours were more likely to remember what they learned the next day, compared to those who stayed awake for longer than four hours after learning the game. According to experts, this indicates that sleep<\/strong> helps consolidate short-term memories<\/strong>. That\u2019s why babies, who constantly learn new things, don\u2019t just need nighttime sleep but also naps throughout the day. Just think how challenging it is for them to learn language, understand words, and grasp the abstract structure of speech. Naps play a key role in supporting this task as well (5).<\/p>\n\t\t

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