Book 2, Question 25
Why Does Sleep Help Us Remember?
Did you ever learn something new, sleep on it, and remember it better the next day? Sleep files the day! Without sleep, new paths in the brain stay messy.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 2
More fun facts
- Sleeping helps strengthen the memories you made during the day.
- Sleep also helps link new memories to older ones.
- Getting good sleep before you learn helps your brain get ready to make new memories.
- Memories seem to form in several stages, and sleep may be the most important stage of all.
- In one study, people did better at a task they had learned after a good night's sleep.
- You spend about one third of your life asleep.
Sources: National Institutes of Health, Science News Explores, Cleveland Clinic
Questions kids ask
Is it good to study right before bed?
Sleep helps lock in what you learned. One sleep researcher suggests studying until bedtime.