Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 24, 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

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The association between sleep consolidation and growth and development in early childhood: A systematic review

Maryam Bemanalizadeh1, Mahan Parsapoor2, Leila Emami3

  • 1Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Health Promotion Perspectives
|March 5, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Sleep consolidation in early childhood shows potential links to cognitive, social-emotional, and language development. However, its impact on motor skills and physical growth remains unclear, requiring further research.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Sleep Science

Background:

  • Sleep consolidation is crucial for child development.
  • Early childhood is a critical period for establishing sleep patterns.
  • Systematic assessment of sleep consolidation's impact on growth and development is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the association between sleep consolidation and growth in early childhood.
  • To evaluate the relationship between sleep consolidation and developmental outcomes in infants and toddlers.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus up to February 2023.
  • Inclusion of observational studies on children aged 0-3 years.
  • Quality assessment using the NIH quality assessment tool.

Main Results:

  • 18 studies involving 10,068 children were analyzed.
  • Some studies indicated significant associations between sleep consolidation and cognitive, social-emotional, and language development.
  • No significant associations were found for motor development or physical growth indices (e.g., BMI, weight gain).

Conclusions:

  • Potential associations between sleep consolidation and cognitive, social-emotional, and language development in children exist.
  • Inconsistent findings and study heterogeneity limit strong conclusions about sleep consolidation as a predictor.
  • Further research is needed to clarify the role of sleep consolidation in child growth and development.
Abstract

Keywords:
ChildGrowth and developmentInfantSleepSleep duration

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