Impact of Sleep on Learning and Memory

A great stretch, pretty sunrise, soulful morning, and rejuvenated mind! Seems perfect? This imagination can turn into reality if one gets quality sleep. There are numerous benefits of having a great sleep. The biggest benefit comes with enhanced learning capacity. Read ahead to explore this and know 'How Sleep Affects Learning Power'

Better is sleep, better is the brain, and better is life! For having a sorted life, less chaos in routine, easy and fluent working, spot on energy, better decision making, and great grasping power, one must focus on having an appropriate amount of sleep. Heard people saying, 'How sleep affects brain?' It does! Sleep is linked to cognition, reasoning, memory, and learning. Brain and sleep sit on a see-saw altogether! These both might not seem on the same level but go hand in hand and can't be separated.

Sleep And Learning: The Direct Link

Sleep and learning are related to each other. While we are exhausted due to lack of sleep, the pressurized neurons fail to keep up their strength! A full, complete, and satisfactory sleep works as a nutrition for the brain, making it open to welcome new information and not forgetting the previous information.

Focus, Attention, and Learning!

These three have a close connection. With better sleep, one gets better focus, better attention, and better learning. One gets great ability to receive information and process it. But a lethargic brain due to sleep deprivation can't work wonders. Read below about phases of sleep that are linked with learning.

REM Sleep and Learning: Those who involve themselves in a complex learning environment such as learning a new language or a new skill are observed to have enhanced REM sleep which is rapid eye movement. This phase of sleep involves a lot of dreaming and helps in acquiring new learning better.
SWS and Learning: Slow Wave Sleep also puts an impact on the learning process by strengthening the freshly learned material.

Two Approaches For Knowing The Connection

There are two approaches considered by many learneds to know the relationship between sleep and learning.

First Approach: The first one is regarding the time duration amendments in the sleep stages and the reaction to take up new tasks and learning them.
Second Approach: Second approach is about how sleep affects learning power. Sleep deprivation, whether partial or complete, is considered in this approach.

Effects Of Poor Sleep In Learning Power

Poor sleep deeply impacts learning power in every manner. From practical thinking to emotional acting, almost every arena of life witnesses some impact, deep or less!

Reduction In Performance

Loss of sleep reduces the performance of an individual. A person who has a competition next morning, be it a drawing competition or a sports championship needs to sleep properly. Otherwise lack of sleep disturbs the tendency to perform better.

Brain Fatigue: A fatigued brain may make the individual lose interest in the competition.
No Sync: Tired brain, tired muscles, and lethargic body may not work in sync with the brain. And any competition, task, or even minor goals need not only mental thinking, learning, but its implementation too, physically!
Loss Of Focus: None can expect freshness, energy, and pumped up levels of enthusiasm of a sleepy and drowsy body or brain!

Psychological Impact

Sleep and learning also show psychological impact on the individuals. Read below to know-

Mood: Sleep deprivation impacts mood. Loss of interest makes the individual dull. New information may not be acquired and processed smoothly!
Emotions: Loss of sleep may make the person irritated. Or it may give birth to sad emotions. For this, Sleepsia Bamboo Pillows can be helpful! Stress-buster pillows!
Stress: Undoubtedly, loss of sleep is a cause for disturbed routine. It gives stress and anxiety as goals aren't achieved aptly. Above all, inability to learn new things or recall things adds fuel to the fire. Such situations collectively enhance the stress to the next level.

Physical Health Impact

One learns everyday, till the last breath. Who would want to ruin this learning process with the loss of sleep. But it still happens. This can deeply impact health physically too.

Heachaches may become common.
Nausea due to lack of sleep and above all, while memorising or learning something.
Some may witness digestion issues of acidity.
Frowny faces, irritated mind, and uneasiness in the body may also be seen.
To avoid these, one must keep the sleeping hours apt and that too on Bamboo Pillow only. It is because these don't let anyone have broken patterns of sleep and affected learning.

Sleep Learning

'Sleep Learning' is the method introduced to derive the most out of the sleep and learning connection. So if someone asks 'Can you learn in your sleep?' Just say a yes or maybe a no?

Know What Is Sleep Learning

Also known as Hypnopedia, it is a process to make a sleeping individual learn and memorise new things. A sound recording is played while the individual sleeps and soak in new pieces of information smoothly.

But some experts say, the way it is explained in ' science fiction' and some 'literature', that level of sleep learning isn't possible.
Hypnopedia word might also suggest the process where some smell, mist, or odour are added to support the learning.
Chaos was reported when many suggested this to be impractical.
Some even said, this enhances only old memories and not new learnings.

What An Invention!

Time for a quick fact regarding sleep learning!

Alois Benjamin Saliger was the one who invented the Psycho-Phone for this special type of learning called 'Sleep Learning' in 1927.
He stressed on how natural sleep is identical with hypnotic sleep and so, the mind reacts and takes things during natural sleep.

Sleep And Learning Disabilities

Many experts have mentioned how kids and adults with learning disabilities have less quality sleep and how having less quality sleep may develop learning issues.

Causes Of Learning Disabilities

These occur due to genetic reasons, other neuro reasons, and also loss of sleep! These are diagnosed in children in their school years if they are facing issues in academics. However, it is surprising to know that it is only later in their adulthood, when relationships fail and workplace fails, then it is diagnosed.

What To Do?

There are many learning disabilities such as Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Non Verbal ones, Dyslexia, and others. While treating, one should make sure the patient gets a good amount of sleep. Rest instructions can be followed as per the doctor.

As a parent or guardian, be aware of the sleeplessness of the kid.
A diary can be maintained for schedule, and noting down breaks in sleep and their reasons.
Children should be rewarded for having a good sleep and should be taught to sleep on time through various methods.

All Things Considered,

Now that 'How Sleep Affects Learning Power' is known, why not try and have a good sleep? Doorway to a good sleep is through Sleepsia Bamboo Pillows. But along with it, what needs to be done is -