Which of the following best describes the relationship between sleep in infancy and cognitive development?

• A. Infants who sleep less tend to have superior cognitive development compared to those who sleep more.
• B. Adequate sleep in infancy is associated with improved cognitive development, including better memory and learning abilities.
• C. Cognitive development in infancy is determined solely by genetics and is unrelated to sleep patterns.
• D. Sleep in infancy has no measurable impact on cognitive development.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the key concepts: Sleep in infancy and cognitive development. Cognitive development refers to the growth of abilities such as memory, learning, problem-solving, and attention during infancy.
2. Recognize that sleep plays a crucial role in brain development, especially in infancy when the brain is rapidly growing and forming neural connections.
3. Review research findings that show adequate sleep supports processes like memory consolidation and learning, which are essential components of cognitive development.
4. Evaluate the given options by comparing them to established scientific evidence: Adequate sleep is positively linked to cognitive outcomes, while insufficient sleep can hinder development.
5. Conclude that the best description is that adequate sleep in infancy is associated with improved cognitive development, including better memory and learning abilities, as this aligns with current psychological research.