The developing brain spends many hours asleep, an active state which we now know to be critical for learning. Yet, even in the first years of life, there are large differences in how long or how deeply infants sleep. Does this matter for their development?
This PhD project will use electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate individual differences in various sleep features associated with learning. You will follow up a cohort of children with or without family history of autism to ask how individual variation in sensory hypersensitivity affects sleep and cognitive development, in the first years of life. You will design and carry out experimental studies to reveal the mechanisms through which a child’s sensory environment or their prior learning modulate information consolidation. You will be part of the Developmental Science group, a world leader in the study of brain and cognitive development and will have access to cutting-edge brain imaging methods. You will be trained in polysomnography, eye-tracking and advanced statistical methods. The UEA hosts a vibrant sleep research community, dedicated to developing new technologies for measuring sleep and new sleep interventions, along the lifespan.
When applying for this project, please select that you are applying with your own research proposal, selecting Psychology as the subject area and including the project title within the 'Research Title and Summary' section of the application. If you have any questions about the application process, please email us.
