We want to better understand how the transition from regular naps may affect sleep, memory, and brain development.

You may qualify for this study if your family meets the following criteria.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Parent/Caregiver whose child is ages 3-5
• Child is habitually napping (napping 5 or more days/week on average for the past month)
• Child has no developmental disabilities or delays
• Child was not born premature (before 35 weeks)
• Child does not have vision or hearing impairments
• Child does not have a history of brain injury or seizures
• Child sleeps independently (not bedsharing)
• Child has not been diagnosed with any sleep disorder (other than mild parasomnia, which is routine at this age)
• Child is not currently using any psychotropic or sleep-altering medications
• Child is able to undergo MRI
• Child has no external influences on nap habits (e.g., inability to nap due to school or caregiver schedule or interfering activities during a typical naptime)

This year-long study involves 3 waves of data collection at 6-month intervals. Each wave will be comprised of 3 visits, and will include:

• Memory tasks before and after the child’s afternoon nap
• The use of EEG equipment to measure afternoon naps and overnight sleep (conducted in-home or in-lab)
• An MRI scan of the child’s brain
• Questionnaires to be filled out by parents/caregivers

Children will also be given activity-tracking watches to measure how their sleep habits may change over the course of the study.

Participating families will be compensated up to $765 for completing the entire study, children will also receive a small gift and a 3D model of their brain. 

Participating families may also request compensation for travel costs at a rate of .67 cents per mile.

There is no cost for your family to participate in our research study.