Sleep Restriction Affects Children's Speech

ScienceDaily for June 13, 2007 reported on the impact of lack-of-sleep and growth of speech abilities.

Research examining the impact of sleep in school-age children suggests that even mild sleep loss produces marked deficits in their cognitive development and functioning. Sleep restriction can alter children's initial stages of speech perception, which could contribute to disruptions in cognitive and linguistic functioning -- skills necessary for reading and language development and comprehension, according to recent research.