Unlocking Your Child’s Potential: Nurturing Brain Development through Sleep, Diet, and Physical Activity
By Yvonne Paul – Aug 21, 2023 ||
J.Chee (Ed.)
Time to Read:
Introduction: Nurturing Your Child’s Full Potential
I know that most of our readers are aware of the importance of each of these factors when it comes to their child’s brain development however, I feel something equally important but maybe less understood is how these parts of a child’s lifestyle are all intertwined. Each aspect affects the other, much as it does for adults, the difference being that your child’s brain is still developing while we are trying to keep ours healthy and active.
Having spent two decades as a preschool educator, I’ve witnessed how sleep, diet, and physical activity play pivotal roles in a child’s brain development.
SLEEP: The Cornerstone of Brain Development
The Importance of Sleep Routines
Sleep and having a healthy sleep routine would be the first and highest priority on this list, if only because a regular and healthy routine for them means a regular sleep routine for you, as well as maintaining some sanity from not being woken up at unholy hours each night. Sleep is also the time of healing and growth, a time of the day/night where the cells have time to rejuvenate and repair (Sleep found to repair and reorganize the brain – Harvard Gazette).
Sleep’s Role in Brain Development
This time of reparation is where brain development and learning comes in; sleep is when a child is able to solidify learning, along with motor skill growth and attention span as is noted by Ali, A. in The Importance of Structured Sleep for Children |Blog.
Recommended Sleep Hours
You can also see a handy sleep chart with recommended hours for different age groups. For young learners aged 3-5, approximately 11-13 hours, including naps, is recommended. This is an amount supported by Strategies to Put Your Toddler to Sleep That Actually Work.
Below are some resources that have some good ideas as well as things to consider that may be causing inconsistencies in your child’s sleep routine. If establishing a consistent sleep routine proves challenging, consider exploring resources like:
More resources:
- Why Toddlers Won’t Sleep (Plus, How to Help Them Fall & Stay Asleep)
- 7 Tips and Tricks for When Your Toddler Won’t Sleep
- Strategies to Put Your Toddler to Sleep That Actually Work
- How to Get a Toddler to Sleep (10 Strategies to Try) – Mom Loves Best
- Solutions to sleep concerns (12) – toddlers 1 to 3 years – Better Health Channel
DIET: Fueling Brain and Body Growth
The Importance of Balanced Nutrition
The one I would consider next on the list in terms of priority would be diet, as for their brain to develop properly, making sure that your child gets what they need is a key component. As a mother and teacher, I certainly don’t hold to this rule for every meal of every day of every week; there are times when parents are too tired, or their schedule won’t allow for a healthy home-cooked meal, or they simply don’t want to.
Healthy Eating Resources
It is important however, to be aware of what a child needs for their brain and body to grow healthy and strong. There are a couple of articles below which talk about healthy eating for young children, and a video if you would rather listen. Another great option for learning more about nutrition for young children is the Feed to Succeed podcast — Feed to Succeed Podcast on Apple Podcasts — a series that brings in health experts to discuss diet and nutrition for kids and the importance of diet for a child’s development.
Consider these resources for guidance on healthy eating for young children:
- 12 Best Brain Development Foods for Kids
- Get the Facts on Child Nutrition
- Baby brain food: 7 foods to fuel brain development | UCLA Health
Expert Insights Through Podcasts
For those who prefer auditory learning, here is a collection of Apple Podcasts of health experts on the topic of child nutrition and healthy food relationships.
- The Nourished Child with Jill Castle, MS, RDN
- Baby Steps Nutrition Podcast with Argavan Nilforoush
Physical Activity: Boosting Brain Functionality
The Link Between Physical Activity and Brain Power
The final factor on our list is physical activity and its importance in brain development. We’re all aware of how important it is for our child’s motor development, but we may not be aware of the impact it can have on the brain as well. Simply put, good motor development literally improves a child’s brain functioning through the increase in blood flow to the brain from exercise.
Blood Flow and Brain Function
Several articles corroborate the connection between physical fitness and brain power:
- Children who exercise have more brain power, study finds | World Economic Forum,
- Children who are physically fitter have bigger brains, new study finds – Canal UGR,
- Kids’ physical activity before age 5 matters so much because of the developing brain
Importance of Diverse Physical Activities
Researchers at the University of Nevada discuss not only the importance of exercise but the importance of different kinds of exercise, as outlined in the article Physical Activity Promotes Brain Development | Extension | University of Nevada, Reno.
I have tried instilling all of these in the daily lives of the children I teach: promote healthy eating, giving lots of time for movement and exercise and ensuring the children nap. Before my children came along, I took care of myself and the students in my class but I didn’t truly understand how everything was linked until I saw it played out in my son and daughter’s behaviour and energy levels.
While perfection isn’t the goal, awareness of how these factors intertwine in your child’s growth and development is essential.
Additional Resources:
- The Benefits of Outdoor Play
- The Benefits of Physical Activity for Children
- Benefits of Physical Activity for Children
Shaping a Bright Future
Remember that optimizing your child’s development through sleep, diet, and physical activity is a holistic endeavor. By recognizing the synergy between these elements and making conscious choices to nurture each aspect, you can unlock your child’s full potential.
Embrace the journey of parenthood with awareness, knowing that you’re shaping not only their bodies but also their brilliant minds. Cherish these moments with your little ones, for they are the building blocks of a bright future. Enjoy this time with your little ones. It does go by faster than you think it will.
Stay informed and empowered on your parenting journey with For Smart Cookies Online Preschool! Subscribe now to gain exclusive insights, tips, and updates that will help you nurture your child’s potential to the fullest.