Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 14, 2025

Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood
08:20

Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood

Published on: October 2, 2019

12.0K

Regular, intermittent, and spontaneous: Patterns of preschool Children's nap behavior and their correlates

Adam T Newton1, Graham J Reid2

  • 1Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, Canada.

Sleep Medicine
|January 14, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Preschool children show varied daytime napping patterns. Parental beliefs and home environment significantly influence these nap behaviors, impacting overall sleep in young children.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Sleep Science
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Preschool children (1-5 years) exhibit significant variability in daytime nap duration, timing, and proportion of total sleep.
  • Understanding the factors contributing to this inter-child variability in napping is crucial for child development research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To empirically examine variations in preschool children's nap behavior components.
  • To investigate correlates associated with different nap behaviors in young children.

Main Methods:

  • Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) applied to a national sample (N=702) of Canadian parents reporting on their 1.5-5 year old's sleep.
  • Analyzed nap duration, timing, frequency, daytime sleep proportion, and nap spontaneity.
  • Multinomial logistic regression used to identify correlates of identified nap profiles.

Main Results:

  • Four distinct nap profiles identified: regular, intermittent, spontaneous, and non-nappers.
  • Profile membership correlated with parental beliefs about napping, parental nap behavior, family functioning, and child's nighttime sleep problems.
  • These associations remained significant after controlling for demographic and known napping correlates.

Conclusions:

  • Empirical analysis successfully elucidated inter-child variability in preschool napping.
  • Parental beliefs regarding napping and the family's home environment are key influencers of nap behavior diversity.
  • These findings highlight the importance of the parent and home context in shaping young children's sleep patterns.
Abstract

Keywords:
Daytime sleepLatent profile analysisPreschool children

More Related Videos

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

86.2K
Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System ANS Activity in Toddlers - Resting and Developmental Challenges08:22

Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System ANS Activity in Toddlers - Resting and Developmental Challenges

Published on: February 25, 2016

15.6K

Related Concept Videos

Correlations02:20

Correlations

Correlation means that there is a relationship between two or more variables (such as ice cream consumption and crime), but this relationship does not necessarily imply cause and effect. When two variables are correlated, it simply means that as one variable changes, so does the other. We can measure correlation by calculating a statistic known as a correlation coefficient. A correlation coefficient is a number from -1 to +1 that indicates the strength and direction of the relationship between...
33.5K
The Nativist Approach01:21

The Nativist Approach

The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to...
98
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder01:15

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) is a sleep disorder characterized by the absence of muscle paralysis that normally occurs during the REM phase of sleep. This absence allows individuals to physically act out their dreams, which are often vivid and disturbing. Common behaviors exhibited during episodes include kicking, punching, and yelling. These actions can be dangerous, potentially leading to injuries for the person with RBD or their bed partner.
RBD is significantly associated with...
331
Naturalistic Observations02:30

Naturalistic Observations

If you want to understand how behavior occurs, one of the best ways to gain information is to simply observe the behavior in its natural context. However, people might change their behavior in unexpected ways if they know they are being observed. How do researchers obtain accurate information when people tend to hide their natural behavior? As an example, imagine that your professor asks everyone in your class to raise their hand if they always wash their hands after using the restroom. Chances...
15.6K
Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
90
Attachment01:20

Attachment

Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that...
104