Blog · 3 October 2026

Rest is part of learning: why we built a dedicated sleep area

A busy morning of painting, building and running in the garden is a lot of new information for a small brain. Sleep is when much of it gets sorted and kept.

Naps help memories stick

Researchers who studied pre-school children found that those who napped after a learning game remembered more of it later than those who stayed awake, and the benefit was still there the next day. Rest is not a break from learning. For young children it is part of it.

How much sleep young children need

Sleep guidelines from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggest 11 to 14 hours in every 24 for children aged one to two, including naps, and 10 to 13 hours for three to five year olds. Many children in our age range still need a daytime nap to reach that, especially on a long day.

A room for rest, not a corner of the playroom

Evergreen has a dedicated sleep area, separate from the play rooms. Children who nap can do it somewhere quiet and calm, without the sounds and movement of a busy classroom around them, and wake at their own pace. Natural colours and a calm atmosphere run through the whole school, so moving from play to rest is gentle rather than abrupt.

Rest and the rest of the day

Good rest works hand in hand with the other things we care about: clean air, time outdoors in our garden and a calm room that is not over-stimulating. A child who sleeps well comes back to play ready to learn.

Tell us about your child’s routine

Every child sleeps differently. When you visit, tell us how your child naps at home and we will talk you through how rest works at evergreen. Book a tour.