Smart sleep – how sleep benefits cognitive development

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Whilst new parents quickly become aware of the need for sleep for babies physical growth, we are learning more and more about the impact of regular sleep on cognitive development. Let’s call it “smart sleep”! Regular, quality naps are among the factors influencing a baby’s ability to learn throughout the day. We know that babies spend a large portion of their day sleeping, However, until recently, little was known about the relationship between sleep and the growth and development that takes place during the first year of a baby’s life.

The importance of sleep cannot be overstated for young people (and the rest of us!). Sleep helps a child generate enormous amounts of development that can influence their brain, behaviour and emotional intelligence. It sets up patterns for childhood and adolescence.

Smart Napping

Researchers have found that having an extended nap of at least 30 minutes within 4 hours of learning helps 6 and 12 month old infants to retain new behaviours in their memory. These results suggest that infants rely on frequent naps for the formation of long term memories to retain facts, knowledge and events. smart napping

 

Researchers explored whether day naps after learning helped babies to remember new behaviours. One study focused on 216 healthy six to twelve month old infants and tested their ability to recall newly learned skills. In a review of the research in Science Daily, researcher Dr Jane Herbert, from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Psychology in the UK, said: “These findings are particularly interesting to both parents and educationalists because they suggest that the optimal time for infants to learn new information is just before they have a sleep.”

Sleep and Language

In another study, researchers showed infants were better at learning new words if they have a nap soon afterwards. The researchers introduced a fifteen month old to a string of syllables that fit this pattern – AxB where A and B were constant but x could change. There was then a 4-hour delay during which half of the infants took a nap. After the delay, both groups of infants were tested on whether they could recognise AxB patterns, and also on whether they could apply their knowledge to new sequences. Both groups recognised the patterns they had seen before. However, only the infants who napped during the delay period succeeded in applying the grammar to new sequences.

Napping affects both whether infants learn a memory as well as the quality of that memory. Therefore, sleep can lead to more retention and to a more generalised application of a memory. Understanding how this happens is a growing area of research but researchers have a few clues.

A Matter of Consolidation

sleep helps memoryWhat is believed to be happening is occurring between the areas of a baby’s brain involved in the short-term storage and long-term storage areas. This interaction between short- and long-term memory is called consolidation. “Smart sleep” allows a baby’s brain to process the new information it has experienced while awake. The short-term storage area of the brain is relatively limited in a developing brain. Frequent naps are necessary to consolidate learning.

Sleep Boosts Growth

Children need deep sleep to help them grow. Numerous studies have shown a relationship sleep boosts growthbetween poor sleep and deficient levels of GH (the growth hormone). In addition, sleep can also impact other areas of health. Sleep can lower obesity, help  with good heart health and reduce the risk of diabetes.

Your baby is most likely getting enough sleep if they are generally happy throughout the day. If baby is tired and grizzly, then it’s likely they are not getting enough ZZZZs. You can try to keep a diary to track how much sleep your baby is actually getting over a week. Meanwhile, chat to other parents with babies of a similar age. Try to see if you are close in sleep figures or of there is a big discrepancy. Most babies will fit within the recommended sleep time frames from the National Sleep Foundation:

Newborns (0-3) months old need around 14-17 hours a day.

Infants (4-11 months old) need 12-15 hours a day

Toddlers (1-2 years old) need 11-14 hours a day and

Preschoolers (3-5 years old) need around 10-13 hours a day

However, if you find that your child is well below the recommended amount of sleep per day, then you need to try to address the issue. Look at your baby’s sleep routine and read our blog “Bedtime Routine for Baby” to try to maximise the amount of sleep for baby. You might also like to read our blog “Baby Naps – The Do’s and Dont’s “.

Please discuss any concerns regarding your baby’s with a health professional such as your doctor or child health nurse. 

Nicole Cassey

written by

Nicole Cassey

Nicole Cassey, Mum to Jacob and Emily, founder and general dog’s body at Bubbaroo. Nicole was inspired to create Bubbaroo and Australia’s first swaddle after the personal experience she had with her first child, Jacob.

Nicole explains "It is such a steep learning curve becoming a parent. Getting to know the baby you created and finding your groove as a parent. You sometimes feel like you need to become a detective to try to interpret your baby's cues, personality, cries and behaviour. This is my passion to help parents on their journey, especially new parents as they transition to parenthood."

Nicole has a passion for sharing knowledge and community, regularly organising and presenting at various expectant parent and sleep workshops. Nicole ensures she is up to date with the latest evidence-based safe sleep and health research. Bubbaroo collaborates with experts in their field that share similar values and philosophies and have a passion for helping and supporting parents and expectant parents.

Nicole’s attention to detail with the creation of her premium quality baby, toddler and child sleepwear is exceptional. Nicole has been committed to ensure that Bubbaroo is not just a mass market brand producing products, Nicole’s focus is on helping your baby sleep safely in products that stand the test of time.

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