Why Sleep, Play and Routine Matter for Children’s Brain Development

When it comes to supporting young children’s development, it’s often the simplest things that make the biggest difference.

In this article, Lama Bechara Jakins, CEO Middle East at Babilou Family (home to Blossom Nursery) draws on years of hands-on experience in early childhood education to explore why sleep, play and predictable routines are so important for growing brains.

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In today’s fast-paced and hyper-competitive world, it is easy to believe that introducing academics as early as possible is the safest way to prepare a child for success. Many families feel pressure to accelerate learning – earlier reading, earlier writing, more structure, more outcomes.

The intention is always positive. Parents want their children to thrive.

But science reminds us of something important: in the early years, the foundations of lifelong learning and wellbeing are built less through early academic instruction and more through the conditions that allow development to unfold naturally.

Before the age of five, a child’s brain is developing at an extraordinary pace. What shapes it most is not early performance, but the quality of the child’s everyday life – particularly sleep, play, and stable social routines.

This is a core principle of the Sustainable Education Approach, a science-informed philosophy that prioritises emotional security, natural curiosity, and healthy development. It does not reject learning. It simply puts the child’s brain health and long-term readiness first.

Sleep: the overlooked foundation for learning

Sleep is not just rest. It is active brain work.

In the first years of life, sleep supports physical growth and plays a critical role in memory consolidation. The skills and experiences children gain during the day need time to “settle” in the brain at night. Without enough sleep, learning becomes fragile. So does emotional

regulation.

Sleep also has a powerful impact on how children cope with everyday life. A rested child is more able to manage frustration, stay calm in social situations, accept setbacks, and engage

in learning with confidence. When sleep is consistently disrupted, children may struggle to

focus, manage their emotions, and respond positively to challenges.

Over time, lack of sleep is associated with broader risks, from behavioural difficulties to long-

term health concerns. If we want children who are resilient, stable, and ready to learn, sleep

must be treated as a non-negotiable pillar of early development.

Play: how children learn best

Play is often misunderstood as the opposite of learning. In reality, play is where learning becomes natural, meaningful, and sustainable.

Maria Montessori famously said, “Play is the work of the child.”

Science supports this: through free and open-ended play, children develop motor skills, problem-solving abilities, creativity, language, and social understanding. They learn how to negotiate, cooperate, and resolve conflict. They experiment, take risks, and try again.

This is what the Sustainable Education Approach calls Natural Curiosity – the child’s inner

drive to explore and make sense of the world. Curiosity leads children to test ideas, learn

through trial and error, and build higher executive functions that influence decision-making

and self-control. When children learn through play, they don’t just absorb knowledge – they

develop the desire to keep learning.

Routines: emotional safety through predictability

For young children, consistency is calming. Predictable routines create a sense of safety that

enables confidence and exploration.

Regular rhythms – consistent drop-offs, mealtimes, nap schedules, and bedtime rituals –

reduce stress and help children feel secure. This stability strengthens relationships and

supports autonomy. It also helps children approach new experiences with confidence

because they know they are held by a familiar structure.

In the Sustainable Education Approach, we refer to this as Emotional and Physical

Security, supported by Child Rhythms. The goal is not rigidity. It is a balance: predictable

routines with room for flexibility, allowing children to feel grounded while still free to explore.

A call to rethink “school readiness”

This does not mean academics have no place in early childhood. Children naturally engage

with language, numbers, stories, and ideas. But the question is not whether children can

learn early – it is how we define readiness.

When we prioritise sleep, play, and stable routines, we strengthen the foundations that make learning sustainable: emotional regulation, confidence, resilience, and curiosity. These are the true drivers of long-term success.

The early years should not be rushed. Childhood is not a race – it is a critical stage of development that deserves protection. If we want healthier minds, kinder hearts, and stronger learners, we must start where science tells us it matters most: with the everyday essentials that allow children to thrive.

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Lama Bechara-Jakins is the CEO for the Middle East at Babilou Family.