The Effects of Sleep Quality and Age on Executive Function in Typically Developing Children

Sleep is essential for children's cognitive development, with evidence linking poor quality to impairments in executive functions (EFs) such as working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. While sleep can be measured using objective methods like polysomnography and actigraphy, these techniques lack the subjective perspective that is provided by self-report tools. This study investigated the effects of self-reported sleep quality and age on EFs in typically developing children aged 7 to 12 years.

One hundred and seventy children completed working memory (WM), inhibitory control (IC), and cognitive flexibility (CF) tasks to measure EF performance. Sleep quality was assessed via the Children's Report of Sleep Patterns, which captured sleep duration and subjective experiences.

Significant associations between age and EF across most EF components, reflected developmental trends. Sleep quality was significantly associated with IC-Performance and CF Shape Errors, meaning that as sleep quality improved, so did EF performance. Sleep was not associated with WM.

The findings highlight age-related developmental improvements in EF. These findings suggest that self-reported sleep quality may impact EF tasks requiring attentional control and flexibility. Sleep quality impacts children's cognitive functioning, therefore improvements in sleep may enhance developmental outcomes.