Naps for Memory Development

(HSR Trial)

Recruiting at 1 trial location

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Maryland, College Park

Must not be taking: Psychotropic, Sleep-altering

Disqualifiers: Sleep disorder, Developmental disability, Neurological injury, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 9

180 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to study how sleep, especially naps, affects memory and brain development in young children. Researchers will observe children aged 36-54 months who take regular naps to examine the relationship between their sleep patterns and memory and brain changes over time. Children who nap almost daily and sleep independently may be suitable for this study. The trial involves promoting naps and using tools like MRI scans to examine the brain's structure and function. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to contribute to understanding the role of sleep in early childhood development.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

If your child is currently taking psychotropic or sleep-altering medications, they will not be eligible to participate in the trial.

What prior data suggests that this protocol is safe for children?

Research shows that napping in children is generally safe and well-tolerated. Studies have found that regular naps link to several positive outcomes, such as increased happiness and better self-control. Napping also seems to reduce behavior problems and might even improve language skills.

No significant reports of negative side effects from napping exist. This suggests that encouraging naps in children is unlikely to cause any safety issues. Therefore, prospective participants can feel confident that the nap promotion treatment is considered safe based on existing research. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the nap promotion method because it explores how encouraging naps in young children might impact their sleep, memory, and brain development. Unlike existing approaches that typically focus on bedtime routines or sleep hygiene, this method specifically targets daytime rest periods. By understanding how naps contribute to cognitive and neural development, this approach could provide new insights into optimizing children's overall growth and wellbeing.

What evidence suggests that this trial's methods could be effective for understanding sleep and memory in children?

Research has shown that naps can positively affect children's memory and well-being. In this trial, children in the nap-promoted group will be encouraged to take naps. Studies have found that children who nap are happier, have better self-control, and perform better in school. For example, kids who nap regularly perform about 7.6% better academically. Naps also help children remember and organize information. Overall, these findings suggest that naps can support children's brain development and emotional health. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

Inclusion Criteria

I am between 3 and 5 years old.

I nap almost every day.

I sleep alone to ensure my sleep isn't interrupted.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Wave 1

Participants complete nap or wake promotion sessions, memory assessments, and an MRI scan

3-7 days

3 sessions (in-person)

Wave 2

Repeat of Wave 1 procedures including nap/wake sessions, memory assessments, and MRI scan

6 months after Wave 1

3 sessions (in-person)

Wave 3

Final repeat of procedures including nap/wake sessions, memory assessments, and MRI scan

6 months after Wave 2

3 sessions (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for any long-term effects and data collection is finalized

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Nap

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Nap Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Children are nap promoted

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Maryland, College Park

Lead Sponsor

Trials

163

Recruited

46,800+

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Collaborator

Trials

83

Recruited

3,474,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6735910/

Midday napping in children: associations between ... Napping was associated with higher happiness, grit, self-control, reduced internalizing behavior, higher verbal IQs, and better academic achievement.

2. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389945725003247

Napping and memory consolidation in early childhood The results demonstrated that naps confer an immediate overall benefit (8.07 %) for negative and neutral memories combined when those memories are not exposed ...

3. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/sleep/articles/10.3389/frsle.2024.1351660/full

Parents, preschoolers, and napping: the development and ... Two measures of parents' napping beliefs were developed and evaluated-the Parents' Nap Beliefs Scale (14 items) and the Reasons Children Nap Scale (19 items).

4. penntoday.upenn.edu penntoday.upenn.edu/news/link-between-midday-naps-and-happier-children-excel-academically-fewer-behavioral-problems

Children who nap midday are happier, excel academically ... “Children who napped three or more times per week benefit from a 7.6% increase in academic performance in Grade 6,” he says.

5. liebertpub.com liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/chi.2024.0384

It's Time to Put the Nap in Nutrition and Physical Activity ... There was evidence indicating that child care arrangement type, dose, and attendance impact various sleep outcomes among children 0–5 years old.

6. academic.oup.com academic.oup.com/sleep/article-abstract/42/9/zsz126/5499200

Midday napping in children: associations between nap ... Overall, napping was significantly associated with higher happiness, grit, and self-control, reduced internalizing behavior problem, higher ...

7. jamanetwork.com jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2794639

Effects of a Sleep Health Education Program for Children ... The primary outcome, nighttime sleep duration, increased to clinically insignificant means of 5.6 minutes at 9 months (primary outcome) and 6.8 ...

8. journals.sagepub.com journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15346501221141491

The Effect of Napping on the Function of Problem Behavior ... The current case study showed sleep affected problem behavior occurrence during FA conditions conducted before and after naps. Before-nap FA ...

9. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945711003315

Relationship between napping pattern and nocturnal sleep ... The percentage of children who habitually took a nap was 100% in those under 1 year old, and the percentages were 96.8%, 81.8%, 53.4%, 28.0%, and 9.0% in 1-, 2- ...