Sleep assists memory and learning – study

Friday 29th June 2012

Learning new information in the time shortly before sleep may improve your chances of remembering it, according to the results of the latest study into how sleep relates to memory and learning.

The study assigned 207 students to learn two different lists of word pairs, one of which was semantically linked, and one made up of unrelated words. The process of learning unrelated word pairs involves a complex routine of creating associations in the mind to prompt memory, while the learning of the linked words is a relatively straight-forward job of memorisation. The participating students were tasked with learning the lists at 9am or 9pm, then facing tests thirty minutes, twelve hours, then twenty-four hours later.

The study revealed several notable findings, including that initial memory – in the test after thirty minutes – was not discernably different in the morning or evening results, but after twelve hours and twenty-four hours, those who had slept recorded better memory compared to those who had stayed awake. Furthermore, memory for the unrelated word pairs – the more difficult of the tasks – was found to be stronger in those who had slept after learning.

It is understood that the study indicates memory is consolidated more effectively when sleeping shortly after learning new information.

Tags: sleep memory learning

Category: Sleep Research

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