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After sleep, young adults have improved declarative memory (memory for facts and events; NEJM JW Neurology Aug 5 2008). Whether preschoolers experience similar memory consolidation during their afternoon naps has been unknown. These researchers randomized 40 preschoolers aged 3 to 5 years (mean age, 50 months) to either their usual naps (mean nap time, 78 minutes) or being kept awake. The children learned a memory task 3 hours before the nap and completed it after the nap and 24 hours later. For the task, the children viewed rows of pictures and then identified where specific pictures belonged on a blank slate of rows.
Children who napped had significantly higher scores than non-nappers, both after napping and 24 hours later (i.e., simply mi…