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How does sleep affect memory consolidation
Effects of sleep on the brain essay
How does sleep affect memory consolidation
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Effect of Sleep on Memory
This article is from The Journal of Experimental Psychology, and was written on an experiment performed by psychologist Bruce R. Ekstrand, from the University of Colorado. He experimented on the effects that sleep has on one's memory, after learning a particular bit of knowledge, in this case a certain list of twelve three-letter words.
There were several different ways Ekstrand went about discovering whether sleep would facilitate memory or not. Out of the entire group of people who he experimented on, some of them were given nothing but a simple list to memorize, some were given a pro-active interfering list, and some were given a retroactive interfering list. For his core measurement method, he used a 3x2 factorial chart. In this factorial were the three types of interference learning he used- retroactive, pro-active, and no interference. The factorial's two-part were the levels of sleep that those who were experimented on got -- either eight hours of sleep, or none.
The participants would have to learn these certain lists and associa...
3)The REM Sleep-Memory Consolidation Hypothesis," article on Center for Sleep Research's homepage, Interesting site for sleep disorders
Sleep deprivation is a commonplace occurrence in modern culture. Every day there seems to be twice as much work and half as much time to complete it in. This results in either extended periods of wakefulness or a decrease in sleep over an extended period of time. While some people may like to believe that they can train their bodies to not require as much sleep as they once did this belief is false (1). Sleep is needed to regenerate certain parts of the body, especially the brain, so that it may continue to function optimally. After periods of extended wakefulness or reduced sleep neurons may begin to malfunction, visibly effecting a person's behavior. Some organs, such as muscles, are able to regenerate even when a person is not sleeping so long as they are resting. This could involve lying awake but relaxed within a quite environment. Even though cognitive functions might not seem necessary in this scenario the brain, especially the cerebral cortex, is not able to rest but rather remains semi-alert in a state of "quiet readiness" (2). Certain stages of sleep are needed for the regeneration of neurons within the cerebral cortex while other stages of sleep seem to be used for forming new memories and generating new synaptic connections. The effects of sleep deprivation on behavior have been tested with relation to the presence of activity in different sections of the cerebral cortex.
Rasch, B., & Born, J. (2008). Reactivation and consolidation of memory during sleep. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17, 188-192. doi: 10.1111/j.14678721.2008.00572.x
...ep. There are events in sleep that are associated with synaptic modification, which is the basis of brain rewiring that enhances cognition. There is evidence that sleep accelerated transcription of cortical genes that are associated with protein synthesis9. These newly generated proteins are known to be required for strengthening of existing synapses and building new synapses. Studies have found increase of factors associated with brain-plasticity and enhanced learning during sleep5. These factors include phosphorylated or activated CREB, a transcriptional factor, as well as Arc, BDNF, and NGFI-A. These evidence help explain how sleep can influence brain rewiring through synaptic modification. This mechanism helps explain how sleep can modify the brain and ultimately enhance learning. This is a strong evidence that supports the synaptic downscaling hypothesis.
Sleep is an extremely interesting phenomenon in which the mind almost completely departs from the usual realm of consciousness. It is distinguished from quiet wakefulness and a decreased ability to react to stimuli where we become less aware of our surroundings. However, it is more easily reversed than being in hibernation or a coma. It is a function that has been extensively researched by many. After all, we would not have evolved a mechanism that forces us to spend one-third of our lives sleeping unless sleep did us some good. What good does it do tough? Over the years, many theories have been proposed as to why we need sleep. The simplest is that it saves energy. An individual’s energy expenditure and demand is reduced during the day, or night, as an animalistic instinct when they are least efficient to search for food. This is also supported by the decrease of body temperature and caloric demand throughout sleep. For example, when NASA sent a robot to mars, it was programmed to shut down at night so exploration would not waste energy. This is like our bodies, as they need time to recuperate and to slow down. In addition, sleep provides an occasion for restorative functions of the brain where the body is allowed sufficient time to repair and rejuvenate itself. For example, animals that are deprived of sleep entirely lose all their immune function and will soon die in a matter of weeks. Other findings have shown that many restorative functions in the body like tissue repair, muscle growth, and growth hormone occur mainly during sleep. When people are deprived of sleep, inhibitory transmitters accumulate in the brain, interfering with attention and learning. People that are well rested will notice when their attention lapses, a...
In this experiment conducted by Turner, T.H. et al (2007), the researchers studied a sample of healthy, young individuals. Forty subjects total eighteen who were women spent six full nights and five days at the University of California, at San Diego General Clinical Research Center’s J Christian Gillin Laboratory of Sleep and Chronobiology. For this experiment participants were excluded for reasons such as having psychiatric history, a significant medical condition, or taking nicotine or any illegal substance. Three days prior to the study, participants were requested to halt consumption of any and all alcohol and caffeine. A polysomnography was completed over the course of the first night to identify or rule out the existence of any intrinsic sleep disorder that a participant may have had prior to the study. Furthermore, those being observed had to maintain a habitual sleep schedule of around seven to nine hours per night. After the second night, the total sleep deprivation (TSD) period began, where participants were to remain awake for the duration of the experiment. During TSD, subjects were able to move but were not allowed to take part in strenuous exercise, sun exposure, using of any type of stimulant, or sleeping. Various continuous recognition tests (CRTs) designed to observe working memory and sleep deprivation were administered to the
My physical health is the dimension I’ve chosen that requires a beneficial change. Within this dimension, changing my sleeping habits is my main goal. According to Hershner and Chervin (2014), irregular sleep patterns and sleepiness have a negative impact on a student’s performance, memory, and on their ability to learn
The extent and eminence of sleep has a profound impact on learning and memory. A sleep deprived person cannot focus attention optimally and cannot learn efficiently. “Sleep is a biological phenomenon that is modulated by the plasma concentration of melatonin and with influence on behavioral aspects and memory” ( Donadon 2016). All through life sleep plays a biological part in memory. Sleep has a role in the alliance of memory which is essential for learning new information. As some may know, many college students do not get adequate sleep but what effect does this have on their way of learning?
Sleeping is something that is an essential part of human nature and is a must in order for one to be a functional human being. Sleep is an idea that is accompanied by many wives’ tales, including the ideas that one needs seven to eight hours of sleep each night and alcohol helps one fall asleep and sleep more soundly. One myth about sleep is that during sleeping, one is in a state of nothingness. In truth, however, it has been discovered that during sleep the brain is active, variations in heartbeat and breathing occur, and the eyes and ears are active throughout the time of sleep. These activities during a person’s sleep are important because they help that person be more aware, awake, and alert during consciousness. If all of these important activities occur during sleep, why is it that people are so willing to short themselves of this vital activity? Although much about sleep still remains a mystery, research and experiments continue to show how important sleep is to each and every person. Throughout this paper, I will discuss sleep and the effects that it has on performance and health, especially in college students. A college student’s sleeping pattern is a reliable indicator to their level of performance in the classroom and other school-affiliated activities, as a lack of sleep leads to decreased performance. Sleep is directly related the level of performance and health in an individual; the more rested a person is, the better that person will perform and feel (Dryer, 2006).
Kales, A. (1972). The evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders : Pharmacological and psychological studies. In M. Chase (ed.)The Sleeping Brain. Los Angeles : Brain Information Service.
Introduction Sleep studies have been conducted since as early as 1913. However, the impact of school start times on student academics is often overlooked by most schools. In reality, start times can significantly affect academic performance by disrupting adolescents' normal sleep cycle, leading to a lack of sleep that impairs learning, and hindering academic performance. These theories have been tested through sleep studies, and most of them have been found to be true. Sleep Cycle Changes When children transition from primary school to middle or high school, it can significantly affect their learning due to changes in their sleep cycle.
Kelly, W. E., Kelly, K. E., & Clanton, R. C. (2001). The relationship between sleep
Sleep is a reversible, repetitive, and active behavior which plays different roles. These roles include restoration processes, memory consolidation, learning or growth. As argued out by Curcio, Ferrara and De Gennaro (2006), during sleep, neuro-cognitive, psychological, as well as behavioral processes take place. Many individuals sacrifice their sleep with an aim of carrying out extra activities. However, sleep loss has been found to have various negative effects. Some of these effects include impairment in psychomotor, neurocognitive performances, and sleepiness (Curcio et al., 2006). Results from recent studies have demonstrated that sleep plays an integral role in memory consideration and learning processes (Deregnaucourt et al., 2005 & Curcio et al., 2006). This paper will evaluate journals and other accredited sources of information in an effort to review, analyze, critique and synthesize works of other scholars on how sleep affects learning.
Rasch, Björn, and Jan Born. "About Sleep 's Role in Memory." Physiological Reviews. American Physiological Society, n.d. Web. 06 May 2016.
Sleep plays a vital role in a person’s mental well-being. Sleeping affects how well people think, react, work, learn, and get along with others. While a person is sleeping, his brain is preparing to help him learn and remember information. A good night’s sleep enhances learning and problem solving skills. It is very important for the students to have sound sleep as it can improve their concentration, memory and creativity. Furthermore, having enough sleep increases the ability to m...