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Sleep contributes significantly to memory formation and is absolutely necessary for certain elementary forms of memory formation. In order for new information to be stored long-term, the corresponding memory traces must first be consolidated. Before that happens, they are simply stored in a kind of cache. The different sleep stages seem to influence memory formation in different brain regions.
Why sleeping helps us learn
The human brain is particularly good at processing sensory input received just before falling asleep. Sleep depth and learning seem to go hand in hand. Studies have shown that the deeper we sleep, the better we learn. But can we absorb new information while we sleep, such as learning a language by listening to a recording?
The brain can actually learn new vocabulary while sleeping – even if only for half a second
Psychology professor Katharina Henke and her colleagues at the University of Bern have shown in an experiment that people can unconsciously learn new words while they sleep. They played pairs of words over headphones to 41 test subjects while they slept. One of the words was a term from a fantasy language, the other was the German translation.
After waking up, the subjects were actually able to remember the meaning of the vocabulary and its significance. The reason: They heard the vocabulary they were asked to memorize during a specific phase of sleep, the so-called “up-state”. In this state, all brain cells are active simultaneously. The researchers were also able to clearly see that the areas of the brain responsible for learning vocabulary were active while the subjects were remembering what they had memorized in their sleep.
However, the constantly recurring “up-state” in the brain only lasts about half a second. The time window in which the brain can absorb new information during sleep is therefore extremely specific. According to the researchers, the subjects were able to correctly classify 60 percent of the fantasy words as long as they were played through the headphones in the so-called “up state.”
We are still much better learners when awake
A real breakthrough in the field of brain research – even if the success rate of 60 percent still sounds like there is room for improvement. If you want to be on the safe side when learning vocabulary, it is best to learn important material before going to bed. The new information solidifies overnight and can be recalled the next day. This method is definitely more effective than the famous vocabulary notebook put under the pillow.
