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Physical Activity, Sleep, and Cognition in Preschool-Aged Children: A Scoping Review
Adriana I Ramos Marichal1, Shaina P Brady2, Hsiao-Han Ho1
1Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, 111 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Insights
Sleep quality and engaging physical activities may benefit preschooler cognition. More research is needed to understand how physical activity, sleep, and cognition interact in early childhood development.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Early childhood is crucial for executive function and cognitive development.
- Physical activity and sleep are key modifiable behaviors supporting learning.
- Research on their combined effects on learning in preschoolers is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize literature on physical activity, sleep, and cognition in 3-5-year-olds.
- To identify gaps in research integrating these three domains.
- To explore associations among physical activity, sleep, and cognition.
Main Methods:
- Scoping review of peer-reviewed studies from the past 10 years.
- Included studies on typically developing children aged 3-5 years.
- Focused on studies examining at least two domains: physical activity, sleep, or cognition.
Main Results:
- Thirty-eight studies were included; evidence on physical activity and sleep was inconsistent.
- Sleep quality (e.g., efficiency, regularity) linked more to cognition than duration.
- Moderate-intensity, engaging physical activities showed stronger associations with executive function.
Conclusions:
- Sleep quality and specific physical activity characteristics may influence preschool cognitive outcomes.
- Integrated research frameworks are needed to understand interactive pathways.
- Future studies should examine physical activity, sleep, and cognition together to inform recommendations.
Background/Objectives:
Early childhood is a critical period for executive function and broader cognitive development. Physical activity and sleep are modifiable health behaviors that support neurobiological processes underlying learning. While each has been widely examined, research investigating their combined or interactive relationships with learning remains fragmented. This scoping review synthesizes the literature on associations among physical activity, sleep, and cognition in preschool-aged children (3-5 years) and identifies gaps in the integration of these domains.
Methods:
Electronic databases were searched for peer-reviewed studies published within the past 10 years. Eligible studies included typically developing children aged 3-5 years and examined overlaps between at least two domains: physical activity, sleep, and cognition. Cross-sectional and longitudinal observational studies were included; intervention and review studies, and those conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, were excluded.
Results:
Thirty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Evidence examining physical activity and sleep was limited and inconsistent. Sleep quality indicators (e.g., sleep efficiency and bedtime regularity) were more often reported to be associated with executive function and broader cognitive outcomes than total sleep duration, which showed variable relationships. Findings linking physical activity and cognition were heterogeneous; however, moderate-intensity and cognitively engaging activities were more often reported in association with executive function than total activity or intensity alone.
Conclusions:
Findings suggest that sleep quality and characteristics of physical activity may be relevant for preschool cognitive outcomes. Greater integration of these domains is needed, and future research should examine physical activity, sleep, and cognition within a single integrated framework to clarify potential interactive pathways linking these behaviors within this evidence base and to inform physical activity recommendations for early childhood development.
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