REM sleep in naps differentially relates to memory consolidation in typical preschoolers and children with Down syndrome.

ABSTRACT: Sleep is recognized as a physiological state associated with learning, with studies showing that knowledge acquisition improves with naps. Little work has examined sleep-dependent learning in people with developmental disorders, for whom sleep quality is often impaired. We examined the effect of natural, in-home naps on word learning in typical young children and children with Down syndrome (DS). Despite similar immediate memory retention, naps benefitted memory performance in typical children but hindered performance in children with DS, who retained less when tested after a nap, but were more accurate after a wake interval. These effects of napping persisted 24 h later in both groups, even after an intervening overnight period of sleep. During naps in typical children, memory retention f

SUBMITTER: Spano G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6243285 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature