Babies learn even in sleep

Although babies are only a few hours each day, their nervous system is still growing rapidly because the brain processes information even during sleep.

Artwork: mychildhealth.net.

Telegraph reported that scientists from the University of Florida, USA examined the process of information processing in the brain of 26 newborns when they were sleeping. All babies are born one or two days after the test takes place.

They turn on a melody and then gently blow on their eyelids. After about 20 minutes, the eyelids of 24 children are tighter - a sign that they anticipate the wind in their eyes. The brain waves of children also change, meaning the brain is still active.

'We discovered a basic type of learning in babies. This type of learning does not appear in the sleeping adult's brain , "said psychologist Dana Byrd, a member of the research team.

The team believes that babies' brains are constantly adjusting to the surrounding physical world, even when they are not awake. Newborn sleep patterns are relatively different from older children or adults in that they are more active during sleep. The characteristic of active sleep pattern is that the heart rate and breathing rate change very quickly.

'Perhaps the active sleep state helps babies feel the world around easier, so that the pace of learning happens faster,' Byrd commented.

The results of the University of Florida study can help scientists detect babies with abnormal syndromes such as autism or reading disorders.