Sleep forms flexible context representations in toddlers.

Sleep enhances context memory in toddlers aged 2-3 years, with significant improvements observed only after post-familiarization sleep.

• Why it matters: Understanding how sleep supports memory during early childhood is crucial because hippocampal function is still developing, and this period is key for cognitive growth.
• What they did: The study involved familiarizing toddlers with two spatial contexts, then comparing their memory after a 90-minute nap or wakefulness, and measuring spindle density and oscillation coupling during sleep.
• The result: Toddlers showed stronger context memory after sleep, with memory performance positively linked to specific sleep oscillations, indicating sleep-related consolidation mechanisms despite hippocampal immaturity.