Do you ever feel like your brain slows down the day after a bad night’s sleep? It’s not just your imagination. A new review suggests how sleep quality early in life may influence brain development and cognitive performance in school. Here, we will take a look at the results of the review and why some kids face more challenges in school than others, even with the same hours of sleep per night. Participants wore devices that tracked their sleep and underwent brain imaging to assess their neural development. Researchers used the results to identify two patterns, or dimensions, and three groups, or biotypes. One dimension links later sleep onset and shorter sleep duration with weaker connectivity between subcortical and cortical regions. These regions are parts of the brain involved in memory, emotion regulation, and higher-level thinking. The other dimension links a higher heart rate during sleep, and less light sleep, with lower brain volume and reduced network connectivity. In other words, how deep and relaxed a child’s sleep is may influence their brain’s physical development. Adolescents’ sleep, not just how much, but when, how deeply, and with what kind of rest, may relate to how their brains develop and how well they think. Researchers found three clear sleep-based biotypes, each linked to different brain structures and cognitive strengths. These findings underscore the importance of looking beyond sleep duration when considering adolescent brain health. It’s more complicated than simply getting to bed earlier. Prioritizing consistent, high-quality rest may support not only better thinking and focus but also healthier long-term brain development.
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Thursday, June 26, 2025