2015 PEP Fellow, Rebecca Spencer's research on the benefits of naps and overnight sleep on early childhood memory featured in WPSD news story

A WPSD news story featured findings from a study by sleep researchers at UMass Amherst, led by 2015 PEP Fellow, Rebecca Spencer. They report for the first time evidence that naps and overnight sleep may work together to benefit memory in early childhood. The study was published in Scientific Reports. Spencer, and colleagues, report that for children in this study, “Individually, the nap and overnight sleep bouts were not sufficient to induce changes in memory. A significant benefit of napping was observed only when changes across the entire 24-hour period were considered. This supports an interplay between the nap and subsequent overnight sleep in the consolidation of memories in young children.” Research also featured in WMTV and Fox 43 news stories. Read more here.

In appreciation of their generous support, the UMass Public Engagement Project would like to thank the Office of the ProvostUniversity Relations, and the Colleges of Natural SciencesSocial and Behavioral Sciences Humanities and Fine ArtsEngineeringPublic Health and Health Sciences, and Education.  The UMass Public Engagement Project also recognizes and appreciates in-kind contributions and collaborations with the Center for Research on Families and the Institute for Social Science Research