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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2019 Feb;23(4):333-340.
doi: 10.1177/1087054715569281. Epub 2015 Feb 2.

Does Increased Consolidated Nighttime Sleep Facilitate Attentional Control? A Pilot Study of Nap Restriction in Preschoolers

Janet C Lam  1   2 , Taylor A Koriakin  1 , Steven M Scharf  3 , Thornton B A Mason  4 , E Mark Mahone  1   2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Does Increased Consolidated Nighttime Sleep Facilitate Attentional Control? A Pilot Study of Nap Restriction in Preschoolers

Janet C Lam et al. J Atten Disord. 2019 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to understand the impact of a 5-day period of nap restriction on sleep patterns and cognitive function in typically developing preschoolers, aged 3 to 4 years.

Method: Following 1 week of baseline assessment, 28 children were randomly assigned to either a "napping as usual" group ( n = 15) or a 5-day period of nap restriction ( n = 13). Sleep was assessed with sleep logs and actigraphy; cognition was assessed at baseline and at the end of the intervention week.

Results: No group differences in sleep or cognitive function were observed at baseline. For the no-nap group, the 5-day period of daytime nap restriction resulted in increased nighttime sleep. Children in the no-nap group also showed a significant improvement in attentional control compared with baseline, whereas no such changes were observed among children in the napping-as-usual group.

Conclusion: In preschool children who typically take naps, short-term nap restriction is associated with increased nighttime sleep and may contribute to improved attentional function.

Keywords: cognitive function; nap restriction; napping; preschoolers; sleep.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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