Impacts of sleep training on the child’s brain

Isabel Braga is a doctor, PhD from Fiocruz, a point of reference in sleep disorders and author of the book Noites de Renovação. Check out exclusively this article she wrote about the harms of inadequate sleep management in children. We are currently seeing the popularization of courses and books regarding sleep training in children. Especially the ones where […]

Isabel Braga is a doctor, PhD from Fiocruz, a point of reference in sleep disorders and author of the book Noites de Renovação. Check out this article exclusively written by her on the harms of inadequate sleep management in children

We are currently seeing the popularization of courses and books involving sleep training in children. Above all, those who teach to put the baby awake in the crib have led many mothers to the mistaken idea of ​​early autonomy for sleeping. The human child comes into the world in full dependence on the family. It’s almost like esterogestation (gestation outside the womb). This is probably due to the disproportion between the size of the head needed to accommodate our brain and the female bipedal pelvis.

For this reason, the child depends on the presence of his parents for his correct neurological development. The stress resulting from this absence generates what is called learned helplessness, which leads the little one to simply stop crying because no one consoles him and he understands that wasting energy on this is of no use, but it does not mean that he has become independent.

It’s not harmless!

Furthermore, sleep quality is one of the greatest predictors of children’s IQ. In the absence of cuddles, the brain begins to use energy and increase blood volume in survival areas, reducing the flow to a brain area called the prefrontal cortex, linked to our rationality and the emotional control necessary to contain tantrums.

The so-called “kangaroo baby” method puts premature babies in contact with their parents instead of incubators. This is evidence of the success of affective measures. Observing that, even with adequate caloric intake, newborns did not gain weight in the absence of family members, it was theorized that they were under stress from abandonment and diverted energy towards areas of survival. In the presence of human heat, weighing was considered appropriate for the age group.

Therefore, it is clear that getting adequate sleep from an early age and having the comforting presence of human warmth contributes greatly to the development of a child’s intelligence and future self-control.

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.