Why Sleep is Necessary for Memory Formation and Retention

College students consistently get an inadequate amount of sleep; they stay up all night, desperately cramming for their midterm the following day. Studies suggest that college students average 6-6.9 hours of sleep each night, which is much lower than the recommended amount of at least 8 hours. But do all of those hours of sleep lost to studying and working really benefit? Will the extra studying help you learn the material, or would it really be better to prioritize sleeping better and longer?

This article will explain how sleep contributes to memory formation and will provide tips for getting better sleep each night.

How Does Sleep Impact Memory?

There are three primary steps of memory formation: acquisition, consolidation, and recall. Acquisition is the term for learning new ideas and information, consolidation is the stabilization of memories, and recall means having the capacity to remember and retrieve these stored memories. Of these three steps, consolidation is the only one that occurs while sleeping--in this phase the neural connections responsible for memories are enhanced. 

It is believed that memory consolidation during sleep is associated with the different types of brain waves. One study activated slow oscillation-like potentials during a period of sleep characterized by slow waves--that is, non-rapid-eye-movement, or NREM--and found that these oscillations were correlated with increased retention of declarative memories stored in the hippocampus. When oscillations at a higher frequency were activated, representing those active during REM, declarative memory retention appeared unaffected. The study concluded that slow oscillations caused memory consolidation during sleep. These brain waves also contribute to the retention of memories stored in the hippocampus. 

The hippocampus and neocortex, responsible for the storage of long-term memories, are believed to be major contributors to sleep-related memory. While asleep, the hippocampus seems to relay information processed during that day to the neocortex, which then processes the information and stores them to become long-term memories. Thus, the hippocampus is a key contributor to the formation of long-term memories, but it requires sleep to function effectively.

Overall, sleep is necessary to store information learned and processed during the day so that it can be recalled later on. Without an adequate amount of consistent, quality sleep each night, one’s ability to learn and remember becomes impaired, and memories will not be properly stored as long-term memories. Though this goal may seem unattainable to college students, it is imperative to make sleep a priority.

Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep

• Wake up and go to sleep at a set, consistent time every day.

• Create a calming nighttime routine to prepare yourself for sleep.

• Do not consume caffeine within 6-8 hours of bed.

• Restrict your bed for sleeping only--do not work, eat, etc. in it.

• Exercise during the day, not too close to bedtime.

• Stop working at least an hour before bed to relax your mind.

• Increase sunlight exposure during the day, but reduce bright light intake at night.