The Function of Biphasic Sleep in Infants
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Summary
This study is designed to investigate developmental changes in naps and nap function on memory from 9 to 15 months of age. Memory is measured by a task in which the experimenter interacts with a toy and the measure of memory is whether the child imitates that action when given the toy. Sleep is assessed with a watch that detects motion which provides an estimate of sleep and a set of electrodes placed on the head that measures brain activity during sleep. Infants are recruited at 9 months and sleep and memory are measured again 3- and 6-months later. At each visit, memory is tested before and after a nap (either the morning or afternoon nap) and naps are recorded with the sleep electrodes.
Description
Four days prior to the first session, an experimenter will meet the caregiver and infant (at the lab or at their home) to review procedures and complete the informed consent process. The infant will be fitted with the actigraph watch on the ankle. The caregiver will be given instructions on use of the actigraph watch and be left with questionnaires to complete (e.g., sleep diary, behavioral questionnaires). Four days later, the caregiver and infant will come to the sleep lab for their initial session. In wave 1 (9 months), caregiver-infant dyads will be scheduled to arrive \~1 hr prior to the…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 0–1 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: 1. 9 months at the time of enrollment 2. normal birthweight (5.5 to 10 lbs) and gestational length (36-41 weeks) 3. must be willing and able to return for testing in 3 and 6 months (e.g., no plans to move out of the area) Exclusion Criteria: 1. born premature (\<36 weeks gestational age) 2. receiving services due to developmental delays 3. visual or motor disability 4. score \<85 on cognitive and language composite scales and/or \<80 on the average of the two composites of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development Fourth Edition (BSID-IV) administered at the first session.…
Interventions
- BehavioralNap
Naps are common but promoted by soothing, lying the infant down, and/or rocking and massaging
- BehavioralWake
Wake is encouraged by keeping the infant upright, providing stimulation (e.g., reading books, handing toys)
Location
- University of Massachusetts, AmherstAmherst, Massachusetts