Sleep Empowers Memory
As school starts for the fall, it is important for students of all ages, and everyone who values their memory, to prioritize getting an adequate amount of sleep each night.
Scientists have studied the relationship between sleep and memory for over 100 years, and they know that sleep supports memory both before and after learning. When we sleep, we cycle through 2 light sleep stages and slow-wave NREM sleep before we drop into the deeper NREM and REM stages.
The three lighter sleep stages help prepare the brain for learning. This is also when the brain sorts through memories from the prior day and determines what to eliminate and what to keep. The memories that are kept are integrated into the architecture of the brain, during the deep NREM and REM stages, in a process called memory consolidation.
Pulling an all-nighter significantly weakens learning and memory. Insufficient sleep can impair your learning capacity by as much as 40%. Sleep deprivation can also make it harder to concentrate, and it can impair decision-making, problem-solving, and emotion regulation.
Generally, adults require at least 7 hours of sleep per night on a regular basis.
Takeaway: Do not skimp on sleep, or you risk impairing your memory by as much as 40%. Strive for at least 7 hours of sleep each night.
Well-being is a journey, not a quick fix.
The Legal Brain: A Lawyer’s Guide to Well-being and Better Job Performance is available on Amazon.
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Incisive, complete, and practical, The Legal Brain will guide and inspire exceptional lawyers and law students. Its scientific foundations and lucid depictions of emotional distress and well-being show them how to achieve enduring mental health and deliver consistently superior performance. Although other books document the legal profession’s mental health crisis, this book is uniquely valuable in presenting cogent, authoritative, and immediate solutions.
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Sources
NIH News in Health, Sleep On It | NIH News in Health, April 2013
Danielle Pacheco and Dr. Anis Rehman, Sleep Doctor, How Memory and Sleep Are Connected (sleepfoundation.org), May 9, 2024
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