S3E4 - Sleep accross the lifespan - infants to old age Artwork

Sleep Science Podcast

We spend a third of our lives sleeping, and this podcast is all about understanding sleep. We know a lot about what the brain does in sleep, but we are just starting to understand why it does some of these things, and even more excitingly, how we can take full advantage of sleep and also manipulate it for our own ends. In each episode, neuroscientist Penny Lewis interviews a different sleep researcher, talking about a various aspect of sleep science. Topics will include sleep physiology and medicine, circadian rhythm, how sleep impacts on our memories and creativity, Sleep Engineering for enhanced health and cognition, and the most recent technologies to promote sleep.©SleepSciencePodcast 2021. These materials may be downloaded for personal use only. They may not be shared, distributed or reproduced in any form or for any reason without express permission

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Sleep Science Podcast

S3E4 - Sleep accross the lifespan - infants to old age

April 18, 2025 • Season 3 • Episode 4

How does our sleep change as we age and what could this mean for memory and cognition?

In this episode, we discuss with Professor Rebecca Spencer her research exploring how our sleep patterns evolve over the course of our lives.

We explore the phenomenon of infantile amnesia - why we can't remember our earliest childhood experiences - and unpack the theories behind it. We discuss how hippocampal development changes as we age and how this links to memory consolidation and sleep. We also dive into Rebecca's work on emotional processing in children and how naps and sleeping are able to aid in emotional regulation.

Rebecca runs the Somneuro Lab at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Find out more about Rebecca and her research group here.

Links to studies in the episode:

Host: Professor Penny Lewis

Editor: Sophie Smith

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