The Benefits of Naps on Cognitive, Emotional, and Motor Learning in Preschoolers

Stopped early · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Sleep

In brief

The specific objective of the proposed research is to examine whether naps contribute to immediate and delayed benefits on multiple forms of learning in young children (3-5 yrs). By probing recall prior to and following mid-day nap or wake intervals, the overarching hypothesis is that recent memories are actively processed (as opposed to passively protected) by a nap, conferring immediate or delayed (24-hrs) benefits on declarative (Aim 1), procedural (Aim 2), and emotional (Aim 3) memories. In two conditions, children will either be nap-promoted or wake-promoted midday. Subsequently, performance will be reassessed that day as well as the following day.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT03285880

Run by

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

People needed

361

Starts

2017-09-01

Expected to finish

2022-06-30

Last updated by the study team

2022-12-05

Who can join

Age: 3 and older, up to 5. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• be enrolled in a preschool testing site or available to come into the lab

You may not qualify if…

• Diagnosis of any sleep disorder(other than mild parasomnia) past or present
• Current use of psychotropic or sleep-altering medications
• traveling beyond 1 time zone within 1 month of testing
• fever or symptoms of respiratory illness at the time of testing
• physical handicap which interferes with assessments (vision, hearing impairment)
• diagnosed developmental disability

Where it is running

• University of Massachusetts — Amherst, Massachusetts, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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