Insufficient sleep in children could have a long-lasting impact on neurocognitive development.

(Yang et al., 2022) 

Children frequently report not getting enough sleep, which has a negative impact on brain development. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, children 6 to 12 years old need at least 9 hours of sleep per day. Children with insufficient sleep have been shown to hinder academic performance and reduce social and emotional skills relative to children who get sufficient levels of sleep.

Yang et al., 2022 a 2-year longitudinal cohort study with 11,875 children (ages 9–10 years old), examined the effects of insufficient (less than 9 hours) sleep on cognition, behavior, mental health, and structural and functional changes in the brain.

Results:

• At baseline, lack of sleep had a negative impact on a range of behavioral outcomes, with the most significant effects noted for depression, thought problems, and crystallized intelligence (knowledge that comes from prior learning and past experiences).
• In 12 of the 84 brain regions that were measured and gray matter volume at the start of the study and two-year follow-up showed a significant difference between children who got enough sleep and those who didn’t.

Conclusion:

The effects of insufficient sleep on a child’s neural and cognitive development seem to be long-lasting. This suggests that early sleep interventions may be crucial for improving the trajectory of long-term brain development.