How can sleep improve your memory recall ability

Humans think and work best when they’re well rested. It’s no secret that sleep allows us to focus and retain information better. When we’re sleepy, we make mistakes easier and are less productive in our day to day lives. A good sleep will put us in a better mood and allow our minds to retain information over time. Sleep is what triggers changes in the brain that solidifies memories.

Learning and memory come down to three simple functions:

1.     Acquisition is retaining new information into the brain

2.     Consolidation is where the memory becomes established in our minds

3.     Recall is the ability to evoke that memory after it’s been stored

The ‘acquisition’ and ‘recall’ stages happen when we’re awake, while the consolidation happens during waking and sleeping. While we are sleeping, we may feel switched off, but our brains are consistently working.  

Sleep affects different types of memory, including both declarative and procedural memories. A declarative memory is about the individual experience like facts and knowledge. Procedural memory is related to motor functions and sensory learning.

Short-term memory has a fairly limited capacity, but the more the information or actions are repeated, the more likely it will end up in our long-term memory. Unlike sensory and short-term memory, long-term memory can store unlimited amounts of information. 

Without adequate sleep and rest our brain can no longer function to coordinate information properly. We will lose our ability to access previously learned information and our understanding of events will be affected. This will affect how we make decisions because we can no longer assess the situation accordingly and choose the correct behaviour.

Lack of sleep breaks down the memory process at all levels as it is difficult to concentrate and acquire the information we learn. Having a regular sleep will be a crucial part to decide how many memories you could store. All of our memories are just waiting to be retrieved! Memories make us happy and allow us to form stronger connections with the people we love.

If for any reason you are experiencing sleeplessness and you cannot resolve the issue, consult your pharmacist about your options to resolve the issue.