Lack of Sleep in Childhood Influences Cognitive Development and the Health of Children
A research team led by Dr Amanda Sierra, Ikerbasque Research Professor at ACHUCARRO, has developed new educational and outreach materials on sleep, chronotypes and screen use during childhood and adolescence. The resources are freely and openly available to the public.
Through these science-based outreach materials, ACHUCARRO is advancing its collaboration with UNICEF Basque Country Committee on issues of shared interest and the protection of children’s rights.
The new outreach resource on sleep, chronotypes and screen use during childhood and adolescence, developed by the research centre ACHUCARRO (Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience), explores how sleep habits influence the lifestyle, cognitive abilities and health of children and adolescents.
A lack of sleep during childhood has a domino effect on the development of obesity, academic performance and behavioural problems. These findings highlight the importance of school timetables, which are often incompatible with healthy sleep patterns during key stages of growth. The material also emphasises the importance of limiting screen use during these years in order to avoid disrupting children’s sleep patterns.
This is highlighted in the new monographic publication, based on the latest scientific evidence, which ACHUCARRO has created through its free and open-access science communication channel dedicated to Brain Health in Childhood. The publication forms part of a broader collaboration programme with UNICEF Basque Country Committee aimed at promoting the right to health for children and adolescents.
“Respecting sleep schedules means protecting mental health, strengthening emotional wellbeing and fostering an environment in which every child can reach their full potential. It is a fundamental right, the right to rest, which is essential to ensuring children’s wellbeing, as it contributes to concentration, emotional regulation, the prevention of mental health problems and the development of more positive relationships,” explained Joseba Madariaga, President of UNICEF Basque Country Committee.
The monograph, entitled “Sleep, Chronotypes and Screen Use in Childhood and Adolescence”, explains the importance of healthy sleep for children’s cognitive development and how it can be affected by screen use and school schedules.
“The scientific evidence regarding the harmful effects of sleep deprivation during childhood and adolescence is extremely robust and should encourage a debate about whether school timetables are compatible with mental health,” stressed Dr Amanda Sierra, Ikerbasque Research Professor at ACHUCARRO and coordinator of the publication.
The materials were developed by a multidisciplinary group of researchers at ACHUCARRO, with the collaboration of Dr Denise Ferrarini and predoctoral researchers Xabier Cuesta and María Andrés. The material is available online in both Spanish and Basque.
The aim of this team and its information channel is to promote evidence-based healthy development in children, with a particular focus on the role of the brain as an integrator of environmental stimuli, such as nutrition and sleep, a repository of memory and learning, and a key determinant of mental health.
To this end, ACHUCARRO produces freely accessible monographic content based on the latest scientific evidence, covering topics of interest to parents, educators and healthcare professionals.
The first monographic resource published through the Brain Health in Childhood outreach channel focused on “Obesity During Pregnancy and Childhood” and examined the impact of nutrition during the early stages of development, its role in the onset of obesity and its long-term detrimental effects.
UNICEF Basque Country Committee – ACHUCARRO Collaboration
UNICEF Basque Country Committee and Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience signed a collaboration agreement in 2025. Through this partnership, both organisations demonstrate their commitment to carrying out joint research and publications to generate relevant knowledge and scientific findings that help advance the fulfilment of all children’s rights, as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Their objective is to ensure that these rights become a universal social reality, firmly established as enduring ethical principles and international standards of conduct.
The monographic publication “Sleep, Chronotypes and Screen Use in Children and Adolescents” can be accessed here:
