Sleep as a driver of pre- and postnatal brain development

Eline R. de Groot, Jeroen Dudink, Topun Austin*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Abstract: In 1966, Howard Roffwarg proposed the ontogenic sleep hypothesis, relating neural plasticity and development to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, a hypothesis that current fetal and neonatal sleep research is still exploring. Recently, technological advances have enabled researchers to automatically quantify neonatal sleep architecture, which has caused a resurgence of research in this field as attempts are made to further elucidate the important role of sleep in pre- and postnatal brain development. This article will review our current understanding of the role of sleep as a driver of brain development and identify possible areas for future research. Impact: The evidence to date suggests that Roffwarg’s ontogenesis hypothesis of sleep and brain development is correct. A better understanding of the relationship between sleep and the development of functional connectivity is needed. Reliable, non-invasive tools to assess sleep in the NICU and at home need to be tested in a real-world environment and the best way to promote healthy sleep needs to be understood before clinical trials promoting and optimizing sleep quality in neonates could be undertaken.

Original languageEnglish
Article number2619
Pages (from-to)1503–1509
Number of pages7
JournalPediatric Research
Volume96
Issue number6
Early online date3 Jul 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2024

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