At Sanford fit, we use the phrase “relax and recharge” in many different ways, but what does relaxing and recharging actually do for your body? Why does it matter for your child’s overall health and wellbeing? Let’s start with recharge, one of the foundational pillars in our four-pillar model. The fit initiative defines the term ‘recharge’ as sleeping or relaxing to restore energy in two different ways:
- Relaxing and doing quiet activities without using screens, like doing a puzzle or coloring.
- Sleeping for 9-12 hours per night to restore energy.
- The following are the minimum and maximum hours of sleep for different age groups as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics:
- Ages 4-12 months: 12-16 hours (including naps)
- Ages 1-2 years: 11-14 hours (including naps)
- Ages 3-5 years: 10-13 hours (including naps)
- Age 6-12 years: 9-12 hours
- Age 13-18 years: 8-10 hours
- The following are the minimum and maximum hours of sleep for different age groups as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics:
What are the benefits of making the time to recharge your body and brain? When you recharge your body and brain, you restore the energy you need to take you through your day. Think about how you feel when you don’t sleep well or hit that mid-afternoon slump. That’s how you would feel if you never took the time to recharge without a screen! Any easy activities that don’t involve screens make for great recharge activities! In addition to keeping your body and brain active and ready to go, other benefits of recharging include:
- Better quality of sleep
- Improved learning abilities and energy levels
- Increased memory retention and focus
Do you have to take a nap or sleep to recharge your body and brain? It’s important to remember that recharging doesn’t mean you have to spend time sleeping. There are plenty of non-sleep activities that you can do to recharge:
- Reading or putting a puzzle together
- Practicing low-intensity exercise like yoga
- Journaling or coloring
- Practicing deep breathing or grounding exercises
At the end of the day, kids can improve their well-being once they understand that they have the power to make healthy choices about the ways that they relax and recharge.
Ready for More Relaxation Resources? You Might Also Like:
Top 5 Resources for Relaxation
The Art of Recharging Video
10 Ways to Minimize Screen Time