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Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

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Infants' Sleep Supports the Emergence and Mastery of Locomotor and Linguistic Skills

Mali Waugh1, Sarah E Berger1,2

  • 1Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York City, New York, USA.

Developmental Psychobiology
|July 30, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Infant sleep disruptions are linked to both motor and language skill development. Sleep changes occur before new skills emerge, aiding learning and mastery.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Infant sleep patterns are known to change around motor milestone development.
  • The precise mechanisms linking motor milestones and sleep disruptions remain unclear.
  • The association between language milestones and sleep disruptions has not been previously investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To confirm the relationship between locomotor milestone onset and infant sleep disruptions.
  • To investigate whether language milestone onset is also associated with sleep disruptions.
  • To explore the role of sleep in skill acquisition before and after milestone emergence.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized time-series changepoint detection analysis.
  • Analyzed parent-reported milestone onset data and infant sleep data.
  • Collected data remotely from two age cohorts via an online app and baby monitor system.

Main Results:

  • Confirmed sleep disruptions correlated with the onset of locomotor milestones (crawling, walking).
  • Provided the first evidence linking sleep disruptions to language milestones (babbling, new words).
  • Observed sleep pattern changes preceding skill onset, suggesting preparation for new skill acquisition.

Conclusions:

  • Sleep disruptions are associated with both motor and language skill acquisition in infants.
  • Infant sleep plays a crucial role in facilitating and consolidating newly acquired skills.
  • Sleep patterns change prior to skill expression, indicating a role in preparing for learning.

Keywords:
changepoint detectioninfancylanguage developmentmotor developmentsleep

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