The Function of Biphasic Sleep in Infants

ConditionSleep Deprivation

Trial statusRecruiting

Trial phaseNot applicable

Trial typeInterventional

Biological sexAll

Age9-15

SponsorUniversity of Massachusetts, Amherst

About this trial

This study is designed to investigate developmental changes in naps and nap function on memory from 9 to 15 months of age. Memory is measured by a task in which the experimenter interacts with a toy and the measure of memory is whether the child imitates that action when given the toy. Sleep is assessed with a watch that detects motion which provides an estimate of sleep and a set of electrodes placed on the head that measures brain activity during sleep. Infants are recruited at 9 months and sleep and memory are measured again 3- and 6-months later. At each visit, memory is tested before and after a nap (either the morning or afternoon nap) and naps are recorded with the sleep electrodes.

Eligibility criteria

This trial accepts healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

9 months at the time of enrollment

normal birthweight (5.5 to 10 lbs) and gestational length (36-41 weeks)

must be willing and able to return for testing in 3 and 6 months (e.g., no plans to move out of the area)

Disqualifiers

born premature (<36 weeks gestational age)

receiving services due to developmental delays

visual or motor disability

score <85 on cognitive and language composite scales and/or <80 on the average of the two composites of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development Fourth Edition (BSID-IV) administered at the first session.

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

Nap
Behavioral
Naps are common but promoted by soothing, lying the infant down, and/or rocking and massaging
Wake
Behavioral
Wake is encouraged by keeping the infant upright, providing stimulation (e.g., reading books, handing toys)

Treatment groups

100 Participants

are divided into 2 treatment groups

Group A: NapExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Group B: Wake (non-nap)Experimental treatment 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

Memory accuracy

Deferred imitation task accuracy (0-100%; higher is better memory)

Time frame

4 hours

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Lead sponsor

University of Maryland, College Park

Collaborator

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

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