Sleep and Memory

Have you ever been told to “sleep on a problem”? Studies have shown the direct correlation between sleep and our memories, which is why we should not only sleep before learning, but after learning something. Here are the reasons behind it! 

Sleeping before learning 

For youths, especially teenagers aged 13-18 years’ old, it is recommended to get the necessary 8 to 10 hours of sleep per day. Before school, this is especially important, as sufficient sleep before learning will help you to better absorb information. This may seem almost out of reach for students, but there are benefits to it. 

Constant sleep deprivation may result in conditions such as 

• Concentration difficulty and shortened attention span 

• Memory impairment

• Reduced sporting and academic performance 

• Moodiness and lack of enthusiasm 

• Depression 

For more on how to optimise sleep, visit our article Tips To Optimise Sleep. 

Sleeping after learning 

If you are struggling on a problem, or feel ‘overloaded’ with information from a late-night study session, it may be the wisest decision to go to bed and revisit the problem the following day. Sleeping after learning actually future-proofs the information absorbed! This happens in three process when you sleep: 

1. The ‘File Transfer Process’ 

The hippocampus–the part of our brains that holds onto information–transfers information to the cortex, which is responsible for committing information to your long-term memory. Sleeping after learning or memorising something, whether it be formulas, a map, or even a dance choreography, helps you to retain the learning much better. 

2. Replay Memory 

Studies have also found that memory signatures, which symbolise a particular piece of information such as a script or a map, are replayed in our brains much faster in sleep than when awake. This shows that our memory of the information is being strengthened multiple times as we sleep, proving the effectiveness of sleeping to remember! 

3. Integration and association 

Lastly, sleeping after studying has shown to be effective to interconnect different memories or pieces of information. This helps us to see links between ideas, concepts or solutions, which is why we are told to “sleep on a problem” to better solve it. 

Sleep is an essential part of our lives, for studying and for our memory. It is definitely worthwhile to get a sufficient amount of sleep, rather than burning the midnight oil to study.

Resources: 

https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_walker_hacking_your_memory_with_sleep

https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html 

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/teenagers-and-sleep 

By: Shana Lam