Abstract
Sleep plays a critical role in neural neurodevelopment. Hallmarks of sleep reflected in the electroencephalogram during nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep are associated with learning processes, cognitive ability, memory, and motor functioning. Research in adults is well-established; however, the role of NREM sleep in childhood is less clear. Growing evidence suggests the importance of two NREM sleep features: slow-wave activity and sleep spindles. These features may be critical for understanding maturational change and the functional role of sleep during development. Here, we review the literature on NREM sleep from infancy to preadolescence to provide insight into the network dynamics of the developing brain. The reviewed findings show distinct relations between topographical and maturational aspects of slow waves and sleep spindles; however, the direction and consistency of these relationships vary, and associations with cognitive ability remain unclear. Future research investigating the role of NREM sleep and development would benefit from longitudinal approaches, increased control for circadian and homeostatic influences, and in early childhood, studies recording daytime naps and overnight sleep to yield increased precision for detecting age-related change. Such evidence could help explicate the role of NREM sleep and provide putative physiological markers of neurodevelopment.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | e22202 |
Journal | Developmental Psychobiology |
Volume | 63 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2021 |
Funding
This research was supported by The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Grant Number: T32NS047987 (PI Paller, support for Jessica M. Page) and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) Grant Number: R01DC016273 (Elizabeth S. Norton and Lauren S. Wakschlag). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. This research was supported by The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Grant Number: T32NS047987 (PI Paller, support for Jessica M. Page) and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) Grant Number: R01DC016273 (Elizabeth S. Norton and Lauren S. Wakschlag). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Keywords
- cognition
- development
- motor
- sleep spindles
- slow-wave activity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology