Could Sleep Disruption Harm A Child's Memory Process?

Could disrupted sleep impact our memory? Researchers at the University of Szeged and Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary found that particularly in children, it may impact how they process memories and how they learn.

"Our results show that sleep disturbances have an impact on the developing brain and could affect the way children learn. It is crucial that we identify and diagnose any sleep problems early in childhood and properly treat them to prevent this," lead study author Dezso Nemeth said in a news release.

During the study, researchers analyzed 17 children with sleep disordered breathing between the ages of 6 and 12. They examined different memory processes compared to 17 children in a control group between the same ages but who did not experience any sleep disorders.

They were asked to recall a stake that measured memories that can be consciously recalled, otherwise known as declarative memory, and a reaction time task was used to better assess how children learned new skills, otherwise known as non-declarative memory.

The children were then assessed based on two sessions; one that involved learning and testing separated by a 12-hour period that included sleep and the next that let the children consolidate information they had learned or forgotten by the next session.

Findings revealed that children with sleep disordered breathing showed lower declarative memory levels and testing phases, suggesting that sleep may hamper how a child consciously learns. Furthermore, this shows that it could also disrupt what they learn over a certain period of time. However, learning new sequences and skills with non-declarative memory was not disrupted by sleep disordered breathing in either session.

"Our results have also helped us to pinpoint declarative memory as the memory process that is most affected," Nemeth added. "If these findings are confirmed in larger studies, we can tailor the training and rehabilitation therapies we provide to children with sleep disordered breathing by focusing on improving the conscious memory processes."

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