We may be able
to get by on
as little as six hours of sleep a night, but closer to eight hours is better--and may optimize learning and memory performance.
Image: JUPITERIMAGES
In Brief
- As we snooze, our brain is busily processing the information we have learned during the day.
- Sleep makes memories stronger, and it even appears to weed out irrelevant details and background information so that only the important pieces remain.
- Our brain also works during slumber to find hidden relations among memories and to solve problems we were working on while awake.
In 1865 Friedrich August Kekulé woke up from a strange dream: he imagined a snake forming a circle and biting its own tail. Like many organic chemists of the time, Kekulé had been working feverishly to describe the true chemical structure of benzene, a problem that continually eluded understanding. But Kekulé’s dream of a snake swallowing its tail, so the story goes, helped him to accurately realize that benzene’s structure formed a ring. This insight paved the way for a new understanding of organic chemistry and earned Kekulé a title of nobility in Germany.
Although most of us have not been ennobled, there is something undeniably familiar about Kekulé’s problem-solving method. Whether deciding to go to a particular college, accept a challenging job offer or propose to a future spouse, “sleeping on it” seems to provide the clarity we need to piece together life’s puzzles. But how does slumber present us with answers?
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48 Comments
Add CommentIt is not simply the consolidation of memories and the solving of 'old problems' that occurs after proper sleep. I notice that after afternoon naps another more general improvement takes place. The mind works better- it is more efficient- more creative- more alive- no matter what kind of activity is undertaken. I say this as a writer who works simultaneously on a number of different forms of writing. I know that if I sleep in the proper way then there is a 'flow and capacity for creation' which is simply not there before. So my sense is that it is not one particular mental function, nor one aspect of it but overall intellectual and creative activity which gets this boost from sleep.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI do not have any other evidence to provide here but my own experience. And this suggests that what proper sleep does ( And I think especially about brief afternoon naps between 'working') is that it improves greatly one's overall mental performance. As a writer who writes in a number of different forms and formats I note that the 'radical improvement' which comes after rest is as much in 'creative and imaginative work' as in that dependent largely on Memory. It seems to me the improvement is an overall general one, and not one confined to one specific mode of mental activity.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAll these make sense, but a few questions remain: first, why is it such a great diversity between individual needs of sleep (some say that it's enough for them to sleep 3-4 hours, some say 8-9 hours); second, there were cases reported of men who didn't sleep at all (at least in adulthood) - how could be such cases explained?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRE: [b]Misconceptions of Sleep functions in our Brain![/b]
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI thought Shalom Freedmans observations above are more accurate than the sleep functions as misconceived in the article above, which says: [1] As we snooze, our brain is busily processing the information we have learned during the day. [2] Sleep makes memories stronger, and it even appears to weed out irrelevant details and background information so that only the important pieces remain. [3] Our brain also works during slumber to find hidden relations among memories and to solve problems we were working on while awake.
Contrary to the conventional observations (primarily in EEGs), sleep is only a physiological recovery state for our brain functions, as the physically-resting recovery state for our brawn.
Thus, the sleep misconceptions (1-3 above) may require reinterpretations, by using the evermore advanced neurological methods (and theories, such as fMRI and Memophorescenicity ) that are available today and beyond -- Author Gods, Genes, Conscience (iUniverse 2006; please see Chapter 15: The Universal Theory of Mind).
RE:“Sleep variations, deprivations, and death”
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI thought “emil47 at 8:09 AM on 8/04/08” has asked 2 good questions above! Briefly, (1) a great diversity or variation in sleeping times in and for individuals may be attributed to the variation of physiological functions and recovery times required for and in different individuals; and (2) my understanding of sleep-deprivation cases is that these conditions may (and would) lead to malfunctions in each individual’s (sleepless) physiology, including mental impairment; immune-response decline; etc, and eventually death!
Author "Decoding Scientism" (work in progress since July 2007).
Only a scientific sample of one, but this analysis supports everything that I know to be true based on self observation. When I am rested I am more mentally alert, able to solve problems better, am more creative and generally much happier. I find that a restless night's sleep is sometimes like getting virtually no sleep at all. Where even a short but consistent night's rest (say 6 hrs) works wonders. When I'm having trouble sleeping I find exercise, meditation and/or yoga work to give me that deep night's rest. When I can't do any of those things but have a big day ahead I try natural sleep aides like Good Element's Dream Supply (www.goodelements.com) or Bachs Restful. Natural sleep remedies give you all the benefits but because they are gentle and natural no next day, lingering effects. So your mind is clear and energized like after any other good night's slumber.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI believe the most important aspect of the sleep cycle is the switching of neural dominance occuring between the neuromodulatory systems, a process which occurs with every change in the stage of sleep. The fact that some of these memories mentioned in the article need 6 hrs of sleep to be reinforced, may imply that that particular neural function requires significant stage 2 sleep to make the transfer.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe article is very interesting, but allow my logical spirit to wonder: where is the relationship with evolution? It seems some researchers have a duty to force a small space in any research work for rescuing evolution. Well, sleep is not the best treatment to alleviate evolution pains. Think about this: if natural selection could create a world, it would have cause stronger individuals to avoid sleep gradually, for it is obvious sleep is the period when we are mostly helpless. But we do not see the amount of sleep as a factor determining survival of the fittest. When time to sleep comes, the tendency is to welcome it and leave the rest in God's hands.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisconsidering that all of us sleep (so, we all are exposed to this risk during night), it may be that the benefits from a 'stronger' mind during the day are bigger than less time of sleep. Also, sleeping less time provides only a statistical advantage, while sleeping more gives a better 'personal' experience. it seems again to me that this last factor gives bigger survival advantage. Not counting that sleep may be also needed for other reasons like body rest.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFor personal reasons, I had to sleep for about 5 hours every day instead of about 8 I usually feel to need. This is happening for about 3 years. Self experience confirms what others said above. Specially during the morning I am less focused, less creative, less secure. It seems that in the afternoon I regain some of these qualities. Also, its interesting to note that after 2 years like that if seems that I learned how to sleep less. I don't feel the same impact as before..
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI play music. One feeling I know a long time ago, is that I don't need to practice something until I can do it. I can stop in the 'almost' and go to sleep. next day I will do it much better.
The world is an enormous enigma that science is solving gradually. And this: for what propose is sleep? Second science, sleep is good for memory, creativity, solve problems, enhance ours immune system; and what more? And about evolution and natural selection sleep have what paper in that process? And... and... and... .Questions and more questions! Why the Lion sleep 20 hours a day? Because is he the king of the forest? Excuse me for those slightest questions. Grateful for the extended and good article!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs a mathematician and physicist, I have often noted, over the years, that my mind has solved a problem, even though I was not aware of the work. Indeed, when I was taking graduate courses in mathematics, my friends and I would talk about how we had come to solutions of problems. Usually, problems in graduate level mathematics are not immediately soluable. You read the problem and let it roll around in your head. Finally, one day, over the course of the week, it breaks through, often in the morning, as you're sitting in the bathroom, waking up. My friend Galen said solutions always came to him one morning while sitting on the toilet. Sometimes, it has occured with me that I did reading about physics theory, went to bed, and all night, I actually dreamed of working through the theory, and the next morning, I would finally understand. As far as concerns the 6 hours discussed in the article, I have noticed that, throughout my life, I have had a sleep cycle of about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I usually wake up after each cycle. However, thoughout my 10 years of college and a decade on Wall Street, thereafter, I always got by on 1 or 2 cycles.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI always suspected it! The disciples knew better.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI always suspected it! The disciples knew better than their Master.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisthis is general, every individual is difference! but scientific way is always a good way to fellow
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI also am not of a scientist back ground but experience my own sleep cycle that is good for me. I have learned in my little existence that some days and nights, that if something is bugging me I simply can't just go to bed. See when ever I am trying to solve something, I can't sleep. I find myself rolling around and trying to get comfortable but yet not falling asleep in the end, and just getting up. That is another factor that could easily be looked in to by scientist.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOur brain also works during slumber to find hidden relations among memories and to solve problems we were working on while awake. I have expirenced this in my daily life.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am a college professor and teach every semester of the year. I wish every student on this campus would read this article. You would be surprised how many students still wait until the night before an exam to begin studying and stay up all night cramming. Standing in front of class after handing out the exams, I can see it on their faces when they read the first question and all they rhought they learned the night before runs out of their ears!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am a college professor who teaches every semester of the year. I really wish that every student on this campus would read this article. You would be surprise at how many students wait until the night before an exam to begin studying and then stay up all night cramming. Standing in front of the class after handing out the exams, I can see the look on their faces when they read the first question and everything they thought they had learned the night before drains right out of their ears uselessly onto the floor! Is it my imagination?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhere does dreaming fit into the information provided in this article?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDoes it interfere, improve or have no effect on sleep enhancement of memory?
What is the effect of dreaming during this process of enhanced memory
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisstimulation during sleep? Improve, interfere with or have no effect?
Best time for sleeping is between the hours of 10pm to 6am. One can sleep ten or more hours but may only create a diminishing effect if rest is not taking during the proper time of the night. Science has not proved the efficacy of this yet but this practice is common in all the older cultures around the world. So the improvement of memory is not how long one sleeps but also what time one sleeps in the night.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNo, it deed happened to me during my finals. I learnt the hard way not to cheat nature.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisyou need to rest, obviously when sleeping the brain must remain active it is recieving blood, therefore it must do what it can not normally do, but for the brain to analyze, it must have something to analyze.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTake myself as an example, I need 7-hour-sleep to make sure I do things on focus in the day.If I sleep more or less than that, I will be light in the head and make mistakes unconsciously. I believe that all depends on individuals' situations.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTake myself as an example, I usually need a 7-hour-sleep to deal with my study on focus. If I sleep more or less than that, I will be light in my head and make mistakes unconciously. So I believe that how many hours' sleep is proper all depends on individuals' situation.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisVery interesting. Often we sleep thinking about solutions to some daily life problems and awakening with some possibilities for resolving the problem, as were discovered during sleep. www.criativopunk.com.br
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this@fabrice, maybe the natural progression isn't through war, it's true we struggle to survive, but predation by animals comes second to disease, tsunamis, and foraging. Just maybe man has very few enemies. Wolves don't, bears rarely, lions rarely, tigers unusually. So you can't really say we have a natural enemy, or that life is shaped by perpetual war. Perhaps there was a man that did not sleep, his immune system diminished, he couldn't reason, and he couldn't process, as for the euphemism of resting in God's hand, as in let the world take care of itself, must be nice being a millionaire, having 50 virgin wives, and curing disease and eliminating pestilence without effort, for why wouldn't God want you to have these things as his emissary to make the world a better place just as fast as possible, oh right, because then 7/8 of the world that worship other religions wouldn't go to hell as promised for Not believing. Just maybe, we're all alone in a small world in a big City and we're going to have to deal with our problems as they come. God helps those who help themselves.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSleep is necessary for evolution as indicated in 50 million other beings that share our planet. Even plants have a sleep cycle, for Christ's sake, called respiration? btw, evolution doesn't state that the best outcome has to happen in order to survive. like, we develop nuclear weapons, said weapon is known to be able to wipe out all human life 50 times over, "Do we get rid of them"(the best possible solution) no, we keep them on stand-by Just in case we need to kill ourselves, our planet, and Emo, with all 50 billion forms of life for a Valis Reboot. ....and the kid makes a castle with a pile of tin cans...
With reference to the effect sleep has on clarifying memories. The effect is similar to turning down all the background noise in a crowded room. We intake vasts amount of information throughout the day, and sleep helps to sort out and in effect turn down the background noise helping to bring the important conversations, memories, and experiences of the day into sharper focus for recall at a later point.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWith reference to the effect sleep has on clarifying memories. The effect is similar to turning down all the background noise in a crowded room. We intake vasts amount of information throughout the day, and sleep helps to sort out and in effect turn down the background noise helping to bring the important conversations, memories, and experiences of the day into sharper focus for recall at a later point. -Nick Maceus
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWith reference to the effect sleep has on clarifying memories. The effect is similar to turning down all the background noise in a crowded room. We intake vasts amount of information throughout the day, and sleep helps to sort out and in effect turn down the background noise helping to bring the important conversations, memories, and experiences of the day into sharper focus for recall at a later point.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this-Nick Maceus
I^mz .... I = infinite ^ angle of mz = largest and smalles measurement programmed ga programming infinite global var; this works with a-z in science like earth = e3 = mc
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI alway sleep better if I've taken in a few good puffs of medical marijuana- even though the feds have outlawed it and made it so expensive, some people still use medical marijuana.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisthat's why Im going to the SEATTLE HEMPFEST aug 16-17 2008!
we have got to legalize this medicine and I am willing to pay taxes for it.
darral_g@yahoo.com
Maybe to add on this subject is that one needs to be healthy to sleep well. This (sleeping) complements with proper excersise or what you need for your body to well oxigenated. I like common sense on human well being matters/discussions. Ask yourself what you need more than anything? and of course answer is AIR/Oxigen. When you have proper physical activities you will reoxigenate all your body, then proper rest/sleep comes and you will feel completly energized next time awake. Also I suggest this magazine makes a research on digestion, evacuation properly, & peptides. The body is basically a processor of food/liquids and oxigen. Proper intake and proper evacuations/excretions must be normal for a body to work its best energy levels. One common problem in developed societies is food (too artificial) & stress. Therefore this leads to constipation. Constipation could be the origin to many deseases humans maybe overlooking as one important cause.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisR.E.M Sleep is when we get rid of the garbage, and keep the good stuff. Deep Sleep is when our minds become sympathetic with Time. It's when our internal clock gets adjusted. Got jetlag ?...get some sleep. Our 'Time', is set primarily by the rotation of the Earth (acceleration). As it is possible for our internal clocks to be behind Time (Jetlag), it is possible to be ahead as well. It moves ahead when we go beyond absolute rest (deceleration). At this point, we may have a 'Clarity'. Deja Vu's are when we reconized the point to which we went. The dream is just a representation of what will occur. That's why it is so hard to associate the two.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTerry K.
It's a method that I've used from time to time, and it works.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisR.E.M sleep gets rid of the garbage and keeps the good. It's kinda like climbing up a hill with a heavy load. It seems to get heavier with time, till we must stop (sleep). If we remove the load, we would be able to continue, maybe even aggressively. Once we get rid of the garbage, and store the good, we are unburdened. It is then we become sympathic with time itself, to a certain degree, depending on how well rested we are. If we are properly rested, it is possible to move foward. This is a condition that we have come to know as 'Deja vu', "already saw", for those of you who don't understand French. What we 'see', also known as a clairity, is just a representation of what will be. This leaves room for the variables, such as choice...,our singlular freedom, in this dictated 'Time of our own' path.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMy Grandfather was the best that I know at understanding this Phenomenon. I supposed, that how I got introduced to it. He told me that my mother was very good as well. Funny she never mentioned it to me.
He was a trapper. He spent much of his time alone with nature, hence there was little clutter in his mind, little burden. He was a man very much at peace with himself and the world. He wanted for little. That's why it was easy for him to see tomorrow. It doesn't all the time, but if you really wanted to happen, and you accept it ,even a little, it will happen to you as well. We all have the ability. The more cluttered your life, less a chance that it will happen. Now maybe you will understand meditation a little better. I don't, but my sister does. The method that I used, was to set my alarm for around 4:00 am, then go back to sleep, with your query on your mind and nothing but. By this time, I figure the REM has come to pass. It's at this point that I have greater control (focus)... ,a light slumber. Try it ...
Now that you are aware of how it works, it will happen to you as well.
Apparently sleep is not a requirement for memory....
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12253173
Sleep
Restless
Sep 18th 2008
From The Economist print edition
A strange case raises the question of what sleep is for
THE function of sleep, according to one school of thought, is to consolidate memory. Yet two Italians have no problems with their memory even though they never sleep. The woman and man, both in their 50s, are in the early stages of a neurodegenerative disease called multiple system atrophy. Their cases raise questions about the purpose of sleep.
Pitu
"an unsettling thought in our fast-paced, sleep-deprived society." = bollocks
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Claims of widespread sleep deprivation in western society are nothing new - in 1894, the British Medical Journal ran an editorial warning that the "hurry and excitement" of modern life was leading to an epidemic of insomnia.
Even then it probably wasn't true. The fact is that most adults get enough sleep, and our collective sleep debt, if it exists at all, has not worsened in recent times"
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/mg20026781.600-time-to-wake-up-to-the-facts-about-sleep.html?feedId=online-news_rss20
I am a Chemical Biology student. In 2004, while I was still in high school, I discovered the importance of REM sleep and sleep in general. I asked myself, "why haven't we evolved to not sleep at all? We MUST NEED IT." So I came up with a hypothesis (which applies to most mammals): we sleep to maintain psychological and physiological homeostasis. This homeostasis includes memory consolidation, problem solving, immune system maintainability, and countless other properties.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am probably not the only person wishing we had evolved to have no sleep; we would have 8-9 extra hours in our day to do what we please (as a student, I need those hours to study). Still, when I realized the importance of sleep, I became an advocate for it. I started trying to get those 8 hours of sleep (still working on it) by going to bed two hours earlier than I used to (I have mild insomnia, so it takes me about 1+ hours more than normal, which is 20 minutes, to fall asleep). At the same time, I started learning about sleep cycles in order to explain to my friends and family how important it is to sleep and why we need 8 hours (even though 6 might FEEL like enough).
I liked this article because it provided EVIDENCE for the IMPORTANCE of SLEEP. Hopefully, after people read this, they will think twice about staying up. Remember: sleep is roll-over. So if you have a presentation at work or exam at school the next day, sleeping well just the night before is not good enough. Prepare your brains for that presentation/exam. You will SUCCEED as long as you take the necessary steps to do so.
Sleep is important for everybody. Children sleep more because their brains are developing. If sleeping had been "shut down" for brain then they would never have learnt anything and it would have taken ages to teach children how to talk etc.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHello Everyone,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCheck out this product that helps you document those valuable late night thoughts so you remember them in the morning. its called the nite note. www.nitenote.com great product!
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Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thischeck out www.nitenote.com....its a good product to help document those late nite thoughts.
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