S3E4 - Rebecca Spencer - Sleep accross a lifetime - infant to old age

How does our sleep change as we age and what could this mean for memory and cognition?

In this episode, we discuss with Professor Rebecca Spencer her research  exploring how our sleep patterns evolve over the course of our lives. 

We explore the phenomenon of infantile amnesia - why we can't remember our earliest childhood experiences - and unpack the theories behind it. We discuss how hippocampal development changes as we age and how this links to memory consolidation and sleep. We also dive into Rebecca's work on emotional processing in children and how naps and sleeping are able to aid in emotional regulation. 

Rebecca runs the Somneuro Lab at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Find out more about Rebecca and her research group here.

Links to studies in the episode:

• Napping reduces emotional attention bias during early childhood
• Unhealthy diet is associated with poor sleep in preschool-aged children
• Television use and its effects on sleep in early childhood

Host: Professor Penny Lewis

Editor: Sophie Smith

Check out our NaPS website to find out more about our team, our research and events.

This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.