Taking a nap during the day may help reduce hyperactivity, anxiety and depression for children aged four to five, a new study shows.In the study, researchers at Pennsylvania State University analyzed 62 children categorized as either napping (77 percent) or non-napping (23 percent).

The study found that children who didn't take daytime naps had higher levels of anxiety, hyperactivity and depression.Children who took naps did so an average of 3.4 days a week, according to the study.
The study findings were presented on Monday at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Seattle.

The study data were based on the parents' or caregivers' reporting of the children's typical weekday and weekend bedtime/wake time and napping patterns. Family demographics and behavioral assessments of the children were also included in the analysis.
"There is a lot of individual variability in (the age) when children are ready to give up naps. I would encourage parents to include a quiet 'rest' time in their daily schedule that would allow children to nap if necessary," said lead author Brian Crosby, a postdoctoral fellow of psychology.
An optimal age for children to stop napping hasn't yet been determined, Crosby noted.