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Many studies show that getting enough sleep plays an important role in memory, especially before and after learning new knowledge. Sleep deprivation affects mood, motivation, judgment, and perception of events. Therefore, a sufficient sleep will be good for human memory and learning.
1. How does getting enough sleep affect memory?
Sleep and memory have a rather complicated connection. Getting enough rest not only helps clear your mind, but also helps you process new information when you wake up. In addition, sleeping after studying will consolidate information into memories allowing you to store them longer in your brain.
For a healthy adult there are 4 stages of sleep. Stages 1 and 2 are called light NREM sleep, and stages 3 are deep NREM (also known as “slow wave”) sleep. These 3 stages work to prepare the brain to learn new information the next day. Not getting enough sleep or not getting enough sleep can reduce your ability to learn by up to 40%.
During the NREM phase, the brain organizes memories from the previous day, while filtering important memories and discarding other information. Selected memories become more specific as deep NREM sleep begins, and this process continues during REM sleep. Emotional memories are also processed during REM, which can help you deal with difficult experiences.
Dreams have appeared during the REM phase. The thalamus of the brain transmits signals from the five senses to the cerebral cortex, the task of interpreting and processing information from your memories occurs in the thin layer of the cerebrum. The thalamus is largely inactive during NREM, but when REM sleep begins, it relays images, sounds, and other sensations to the cerebral cortex, where dreams are incorporated.
Mất ngủ giảm trí nhớ là tình trạng phổ biến
2. How does sleep loss affect the brain and memory?
Insomnia memory loss is a common condition, not getting enough sleep makes it difficult to remember things. Because the brain does not have enough time to consolidate the information you have just learned. Other potential effects include difficulty concentrating, reduced decision-making skills, and poor emotional-behavioral control.
The amount of sleep each night is different for each person and depends on age. Many studies have shown that children have stronger memory consolidation than adults after a good night's sleep. However, getting a lot of sleep is good for memory is not a problem to note. According to proven studies, sleeping too much can impair memory. Each person should strive to achieve the optimal amount of nightly sleep, too little or too much sleep can have negative effects.
Recommended sleep time by ages:
Newborns: 12-15 hours; Toddlers: 11-14 hours; Teenagers: 8-10 hours; Young people: 7-9 hours; adults: 7-9 hours; Elderly: 7-8 hours. With a lack of sleep, our focus, attention, and vigilance drift away, making it more difficult to absorb information. When you don't sleep or don't get enough sleep, your nerve cells work too hard and can't receive information properly. Not only that, sleep loss also makes you lose the ability to make the right decisions, because we are no longer able to accurately assess the situation, make appropriate plans and choose the correct behavior.
Chronic fatigue to the point of exhaustion means we are less able to function well. As a result, nerve cells do not function optimally, muscles have to work continuously and organ systems in the body are not in sync.
Poor quality sleep and lack of sleep also negatively affect mood, negatively affecting learning. Changes in mood affect our ability to take in new information and then remember it. Although chronic sleep deprivation affects different individuals in different ways, the role of a good night's sleep has a powerful impact on learning and memory.
Việc ngủ không đủ giấc làm cho bạn khó ghi nhớ mọi thứ
3. The link between learning and sleep
Sleep, learning and memory are complex processes. However, the time and quality of sleep also have a significant effect on learning and memory.
Sleep helps learning to memorize in 2 distinct ways. First, for a sleep-deprived person, it will not be possible to optimally focus attention, which in turn leads to an inability to study effectively. Second, sleep plays an important role in memory consolidation, especially with new information.
Although the exact mechanism is not completely understood, learning and memory are often described in terms of the following three functions:
Acquiring new information; Consolidation makes memory more stable; Recall is the ability to access information after it has been stored. Acquisition and recall only occur while awake. In addition, memory formation is done in two ways. The first approach is to look at different stages of sleep in response to learning a new set of tasks. A second approach is to look at how sleep deprivation affects learning.
In summary, there is a lot of evidence that different sleep stages are involved in the consolidation of different types of memories. In particular, sleep deprivation will reduce a person's ability to learn. Therefore, maintaining a good sleep will increase learning ability, improve concentration for people.
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References: webmd.com, healthysleep.med.harvard.edu, sleepfoundation.org
