FindCounseling.com > Resources > Psychology News and Research Briefs > Newborns Learn While Asleep

Newborns Learn While Asleep

Sleeping babies are doing more than giving their parents a much-needed rest. They are also learning at a previously unsuspected rate.

In a recent experiment on sleeping two-day old infants, scientists found they could teach babies to associate a musical tone with a gentle puff to the eyes in less than half an hour. As the infants gradually responded to the tone by tightening their eyes, their brain activity was monitored. This revealed an increase in activity in the frontal part of the brain, suggesting they were updating their memories to reflect what they had learned about the tone.

Findings from this study open the possibility of health professionals identifying abnormalities in neural systems in the earliest days of life, perhaps allowing early intervention for developmental disorders such as dyslexia or autism. They may also provide a way to assess for sleep disturbances thought to be a cause of SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome.