NEW YORK (AP) — Any parent knows that a daytime nap can help keep preschoolers from getting cranky. Now a small study suggests that it helps them learn, too.
Researchers say the results show naps should be encouraged in preschool, even if teachers try to cram in more learning activities.
The scientists, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, studied 40 children, ages 3 to 5. They found that a midday nap helped the children recall the location of pictures in a grid they had seen earlier.
The results were published Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
