A good night’s sleep does help us learn and remember. Here’s the
pattern: Learn something new during the day. Reinforce what you
have learned while you sleep. The sleeping brain strengthens two
kinds of memory: - ”Declarative memory” is memory for
information — facts, dates and names. - “Procedural memory” is
skill memory — playing a musical instrument or swinging a golf
club. There are two main kinds of sleep. About every 90 minutes,
rapid eye movement (REM) sleep alternates with non-REM (NREM).
Early in the night, NREM dominates. Toward morning, REM sleep
takes up larger portions of the cycle. We dream most vividly
during REM sleep. The most vivid dreams of all happen at the end
of the night. In general, NREM sleep facilitates declarative
memories. REM sleep reinforces procedural memories. The sleeping
brain works hardest on the most difficult learning tasks. So the
more complex the task, the greater the benefit of a good night’s
sleep. Sleep may promote creativity and insight. Compared to
sleep-deprived pe