Preschool Sleep Problems and Differential Associations With Specific Aspects of Executive Control in Early Elementary...

Area of Science:

• Child psychology
• Developmental neuroscience
• Sleep science

Background:

• Pediatric sleep problems are common and can impact development.
• Executive functions are crucial for academic and social success.
• The specific links between preschool sleep issues and early executive control are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between parent-reported preschool sleep problems and specific executive control functions in early elementary school.
• To determine if sleep problems differentially affect aspects of executive control, including working memory, interference suppression, flexible shifting, and response inhibition.

Main Methods:

• A large sample of typically developing children (N = 215) was assessed.
• Parent-reported sleep problems in preschool were collected.
• Executive control was measured using tasks assessing working memory, interference suppression, flexible shifting, and response inhibition in early elementary school.
• Analyses controlled for general cognitive abilities.

Main Results:

• Parent-reported sleep problems in preschool were negatively associated with working memory performance.
• Sleep problems were also negatively associated with interference suppression inhibition.
• No significant associations were found between preschool sleep problems and flexible shifting or response inhibition.
• These associations remained significant after controlling for general cognitive abilities.

Conclusions:

• Preschool sleep problems are associated with specific deficits in executive control, particularly working memory and interference suppression, in early elementary school.
• These findings highlight the cognitive consequences of pediatric sleep loss.
• Early intervention for children experiencing sleep problems is recommended to foster optimal cognitive development.