The Role of Sleep in Children’s Learning and Memory
A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Cognition".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 July 2026 | Viewed by 121
Special Issue Editors
Interests: sleep; learning; memory; cognitive development; language development; children
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue of Behavioral Sciences seeks to advance our understanding of the role of sleep in children’s learning and memory, as well as other aspects of development including language and socio-emotional development. We invite contributions that explore the multifaceted relationship between sleep and cognitive development, including both typical and atypical trajectories.
We welcome original research articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and theoretical or conceptual papers that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- Neurocognitive Mechanisms: Investigations into the different stages of sleep (e.g., REM, slow-wave sleep) and their relationship with memory consolidation, synaptic plasticity, and neural development in children.
- Developmental Trajectories: Longitudinal studies examining how sleep patterns evolve with age and their implications for learning and memory.
- Sleep and Educational Outcomes: Research linking sleep quality, duration, and timing with academic achievement, school readiness, and classroom behaviour.
- Sleep and Neurodiversity: Studies focusing on sleep and cognitive outcomes in neurodivergent children (autism, ADHD, learning disabilities).
- Cultural and Environmental Influences: Cross-cultural perspectives on sleep practices and their impact on cognitive development; the role of family routines, screen time, and socioeconomic factors.
- Intervention and Policy: Evaluations of sleep interventions (e.g., behavioural therapies, school start times, sleep hygiene programmes) aimed at improving cognitive and educational outcomes.
This Special Issue aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue by bringing together perspectives from psychology, neuroscience, education, paediatrics, and public health. We encourage submissions with diverse methodologies, including behavioural assessments, neuroimaging, actigraphy, and polysomnography, as well as those that consider the broader ecological and societal contexts of children’s sleep.
Dr. Emma Axelsson
Dr. Laura Roche
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- sleep and memory
- sleep and learning
- sleep architecture
- sleep-related memory consolidation
- cognitive development
- childhood sleep
- paediatric sleep research
- sleep quality
- sleep duration
- sleep hygiene
Child-Focused Keywords
- infant sleep
- toddler sleep
- preschool sleep
- school-aged children
- developmental neuroscience
- early childhood education
- neurodivergence and sleep
Educational and Cognitive Themes
- academic performance
- executive functioning
- attention and concentration
- working memory
- declarative memory
- procedural memory
- sleep and emotional regulation
Methods and Clinical Keywords
- sleep interventions
- actigraphy
- polysomnography
- longitudinal studies
- sleep difficulties in children
- sleep and ADHD
- sleep and autism
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