Infants who sleep less than 12 hours in a 24-hour period may have more difficulty developing cognitively, reports CBC.

It’s no secret that a good night’s sleep is important for growth and development. But new research from the University of Alberta says it might be even more critical to infants than initially thought.

A study led by associate professor of pediatrics Piush Mandhane showed kids who sleep less may struggle to develop language and cognitive skills by the age of two. The study found that children who sleep less than 12 hours in a 24-hour period did worse on cognitive scores compared to the children who slept more.