Is it true that children grow while they sleep?
While children sleep and rest peacefully, growth hormone secretion increases
There is a popular belief that children grow up while they are sleeping . Is this true or is it just a myth? Science says that it is true and that it ensures that good sleep and rest has a lot to do with the growth and development of the smallest of the house. Then we will explain in a detailed way the relationship between rest and healthy growth of children.
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GROWTH HORMONE AND SLEEP
While children sleep and rest peacefully, growth hormone secretion increases. This will happen in the No-Rem phase of sleep or what is the same, when the child is asleep in a totally deep way. More hormone is thought to be released about two hours after the little one falls asleep. If the child takes a nap, growth hormone is also released in the aforementioned non-Rem phase.
That is why it is important to follow a series of daily habits so that the child can sleep without any problem the hours he needs to be fully rested. There are parents who make the big mistake of making you sleep more hours than you really need, something that is really worthless.
DOES IT GROW DURING SLEEP?
Scientific research has been able to show in a comprehensive way the relationship between sleeping hours and children’s growth . The famous growth spurts that occur suddenly and unexpectedly in children are related to an increase in the hours that the child sleeps, as it happens during the days when he is sick and has a fever.
The data came to indicate that almost 50% of babies suffered a small stretch at times when they slept more hours than normal, such as when they were traveling in a car or had a fever due to a certain condition.
THEY GROW AT OTHER TIMES OF THE DAY
As we have already mentioned above, growth hormone is usually released at fairly high levels while the child is sleeping and resting. However, this release also occurs, although in lesser amounts during the day. There are certain factors that influence when children can grow in a healthy way, such as food, sports and a series of healthy habits.
SYNTHETIC HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE
There are some children who have problems growing due to a deficiency in the mentioned growth hormone. Given this, a type of hormone known by the name of synthetic human growth hormone is usually prescribed. The problem with this type of hormone is that it has been shown to have numerous very dangerous side effects for health, so it is essential that it is prescribed by a doctor. Normally this class of hormone is usually administered to children with diseases that alter the growth or development of the body as in the case of Turner syndrome.
As you have seen, sleep well and sleep is an essential process for children to grow in a healthy way. However, this does not mean that by sleeping more, the child will not grow more. What should be clear to you is that a suitable sleep environment is ideal for the body to be able to release the so-called growth hormone without problem. On many occasions the little ones sleep badly and do not rest the hours that the body needs to be totally rested.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.