Many competing theories have been advanced to discover the possible connections between sleep and learning in humans. One theory is that sleep consolidates and optimizes the layout of memories, though recent evidence suggests this may be restricted to explict procedural memories [1]. In an ideal situation, sleep should be undisturbed and experienced in the same room every night Sleep is the regular state of natural rest observed in all mammals, birds and fish. ... A supervised child learning the countries of Asia on the floor of the central hall of the Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois Learning is the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values, through study, experience, or teaching, that causes a change of behavior that is persistent, measurable, and specified or... Human beings are defined variously in biological, spiritual, and cultural terms, or in combinations thereof. ... Memory is a function of the brain: the ability to retain information. ...

Sleep deprivation

Studies have shown that sleep deprivation leads to impaired consolidation of both declarative and procedural memories. As a result, humans do not improve on learned tasks and do not consolidate the learned material. In consecutive NREM and REM phases, memories are played back to and from the hippocampus so that their representations in the neocortex can be optimized. This, among others, serves generalization and minimization of memory interference. Sleep deprivation is an overall lack of the necessary amount of sleep. ... Declarative memory is the aspect of memory that stores facts and events. ... Procedural memory, also known as implicit memory, is the long-term memory of skills and procedures, or how to knowledge. ... The NREM (non-rapid eye movements) is a sleeping period without rapid eye movement (REM). ... Rapid eye movement (REM) is the stage of sleep during which the most vivid (though not all) dreams occur. ... The location of the hippocampus in the human brain. ... In the anatomy of animals, the neopallium or neocortex is a part of the telencephalon in the brain. ...

According to some sleep clinic research, the negative effects of REM sleep deprivation is particularly dramatic in procedural learning, while Slow Wave Sleep deprivation seems to have a greater effect on declarative memory. retarded or summat that yatsey says ... Procedural memory, also known as implicit memory, is the long-term memory of skills and procedures, or how to knowledge. ... Polysomnogram demonstrating SWS. High amplitude EEG is highlighted in red. ...

However, new studies involving nootropic medications such as modafinil (Provigil™) show little decrease in memory skills following days of sleep deprivation. Nootropics, or so-called smart drugs, are substances used to increase the faculties of the mind. ... Modafinil (Provigil®; Vigicer®; Alertec®) is a drug produced by the pharmaceutical company Cephalon. ...

Declarative memory is the aspect of memory that stores facts and events. It applies to standard textbook learning and knowledge. It is based on pairing the stimulus and the correct response. For example, the question "What is the capital of Sierra Leone?" is paired with the answer "Freetown". The name declarative comes from the fact that we can explicitly "ask" our brain to make a connection between a pair of stimuli. Declarative memory is subject to forgetting and requires repetition to last for years. Declarative memories are best established by using active recall combined with mnemonic techniques and spaced repetition.

Declarative memory can be divided into episodic memory (knowledge about the event of learning something) and semantic memory (knowledge independent of context).

Increased learning

Popular sayings such as "sleep on it" or "consult the pillow" reflect the theory that remolded memories produce new creative associations in the morning. Many studies demonstrate that a healthy sleep produces a significant learning performance boost. Healthy sleep must include the appropriate sequence and proportion of NREM and REM phases, which play a different role in memory consolidation-optimization process. The NREM (non-rapid eye movements) is a sleeping period without rapid eye movement (REM). ...

A study [2] has also found that after sleep there is an increased insight, that is, a sudden gain of explicit knowledge. Thus during sleep the representation of new memories are restructured. Insight is: the act or result of apprehending the inner nature of things or of seeing intuitively; Power of acute observation and deduction; penetration; discernment; perception; introspection; Insight (magazine); Insight Technology is a company producing lights weapons ; A graphical user interface to GDB, the GNU Debugger written in Tcl/Tk...

Other theories

Other researchers' theories on additional functions of sleep differ significantly. One older idea is the energy conservation theory. Others claim that REM sleep is needed to "refresh" the brain after NREM phase, or that REM is needed to prevent stasis of fluids in the eye.

References

1. Robertson, E.M., Pascual-Leone, A. and Press, D.Z. (2004). Awareness modifies the skill-learning benefits of sleep. Current Biology 14, 208-212.
2. Wagner, U., Gais, S., Haider, H., Verleger, R. and Born, J. (2004). Sleep inspires insight. Nature 427, 352-355.

External links

• "To sleep, perchance to learn" - from Nature
• "Birds May Refine Their Songs While Sleeping" - from Science
• "Study shows sleep helps improve memory" - from CNN