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The way sleep influences our learning is a complex process that is still not entirely understood. However, studies suggest that the quantity and quality of sleep has a profound impact on learning and memory. From another post, I talked about the various benefits of sleep and touch a little in how sleep affects your learning capacity. In this post, I want to address only about how sleep affects your learning. I will be covering the following topics:

• Different stages of sleep and their relation to learning
• Functions of learning
• Memory formation during sleep
• Impact of sleep deprivation to learning

Different Stages of Sleep and Their Relation to Learning

A full sleep cycle consists of five stages. The five stages of sleep are:

1. Stage 1
2. Stage 2
3. Stage 3
4. Stage 4
5. REM (rapid eye movement)

Stage 1

In stage 1, light sleep occurs. You drift in and out of sleep and can wake up easily during light sleep. You may experience sudden muscle contractions preceded by a sensation of falling.

Stage 2

In stage 2, eye movement stops and brain waves become slower with an occasional burst of rapid waves.

Stage 3

During stage 3, extremely slow brain waves known as delta waves scatter everywhere and mix with smaller and faster waves. Only deepest meditation and dreamless sleep generate delta waves. Delta waves also play a role in healing and regeneration during sleep.

Stage 4

In stage 4, the brain produces almost only delta waves.

REM

During REM sleep, your breathing becomes more rapid, irregular and shallow, eyes jerk rapidly and limb muscles become temporarily paralyzed. Brain waves during this stage increase to a level a person experience when they are awake. In addition, your heart rate increases, blood pressure rises, and the body loses some of its ability to regulate temperature.

Stage 3 and 4 of sleep is usually referred to as deep sleep or delta sleep and it is very difficult to wake someone from them. During deep sleep, there is no eye movement or muscle activity.

The full sleep cycle repeats multiple times when you sleep. The order of the cycle will always be the same going from Stage 1 to REM and then repeat. On average, a complete sleep cycle takes between 90 to 110 minutes. For more information about the different stages of sleep, you can visit here.

Functions of Learning

Although the exact processes are not known, learning and memory are often described in three functions. The three functions of learning are:

• acquisition: the introduction of new information into the brain
• consolidation: the processes by which a memory becomes stable
• recall: the ability to access the information (consciously or unconsciously) after it has been stored

Each function is vital for proper memory function. Acquisition and consolidation occur when you are awake. Consolidation also occurs during light sleep (stage 2). During stage 2, making sense of the memory and integrating them into long-term memory occurs.

To look at the effects of sleep on learning, we need to look at major areas such as:

• The effects of different types/stages of sleep on acquisition and retention of memories
• The effects of sleepiness or sleep deprivation on the ability to learning and remembering new facts

Memory Formation During Sleep

Researchers found a significant correlation between the level of improvement in tests of learning and the amount of deep sleep obtained. People consolidate what they learn much better after a period of sleep than during a waking day (a day with little to no sleep). This is because deep sleep promotes declarative memory consolidation.

Declarative memory is the memory of facts and events and refers to those memories you must consciously recall. Explicit memory is another name for this type of memory because it consists of information that is explicitly stored and retrieved. A good example where declarative memory would be prominent is schoolwork.

Procedural memory is the opposite of declarative memory and is important for physical actions. Procedural memory is an unconscious memory of skills and how to do things, particularly the use of objects or movements of the body. For example, tying your shoelace or riding a bike. Procedural memory is usually a result of repetition and practice. Implicit memory is another name for this type of memory because of the fact that previous experiences aid in the performance of a task without explicit and conscious awareness of these previous experiences.

For more details about declarative memory and procedural memory, you can visit here.

REM sleep and abstract concepts

REM sleep does not appear to have a major role in assimilation and consolidation of new memories. It does help grooves the memories by replaying them over in sleep consciousness. REM sleep also seems to help a person extract generalizations from specific memories. Another way to look at things is that REM sleep helps with the higher order mental functions that make us human.

Impact of sleep deprivation to learning

Sleep deprivation reduces your attention and short-term memory. As a result, it influences what is saved as long-term memories. It also affects the performance of higher-level cognitive functions such as decision-making and reasoning. From research and experiments, sleep plays a major role in memory consolidation after learning and in preparing the memory for encoding before the learning experience.

When you are sleep deprived, your focus, attention, and vigilance drop, which makes it difficult to receive information. Without adequate sleep, over-worked neurons can no longer function properly to coordinate information. As a result, you lose your ability to access information previously learned.

In addition, sleep deprivation may affect your interpretation of events. You lose your ability to make sound decisions because you can no longer accurately evaluate the situation, plan accordingly, and choose the correct behavior. Ultimately, your judgment becomes impaired.

Being in a constant state of sleep deprivation means you are less likely to perform well. Neurons do not fire optimally, muscles are not rested, and the body’s organ systems are not synchronized. All of this can lead to injuries or accidents.

Poor quality sleep and sleep deprivation negatively affect your mood, which hurts your learning. Alternations in mood affect your ability to acquire new information and to remember them. The effects of sleep deprivation vary from person to person, but it is clear that good quality sleep has a strong impact on learning and memory.

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