Sleep Affects Memory

If you feel sluggish in both thought and deed after a poor nights sleep, there is now scientific research from Harvard University to support your claim. Sleep is a critical part of life and is a time when the body enters a state of rest and reduced voluntary body movement and reactions to external stimuli. During this time, the body increases its formation of cell structures; it is an important time for the brain to restore itself. A lack of sleep has been associated with abnormal mood swings and a decrease in work performance. The research has shown that sleep is an important element in the brains ability to remember new facts and events. The study involved 48 participants who were randomly placed into various groups based on whether or not the testing period was preceded by sleep. All individuals were given a list of 20 paired words and were told to memorize as many as possible. Recall was tested at 12 hours following memorization. Depending on which group they were assigned to, the participants either slept or remained awake before the testing period. The results for the study showed that the participants in the sleep group had an average score that was 13 percent higher than that of the group that went without sleep. The findings are important to individuals with busy lives, who often do not get enough sleep. The next time you have an important upcoming task, remember to factor sleep into your schedule.