Summary New research seems to suggest so, and scientists in general are moving closer to understanding.
(Online) - Sleep is known to be crucial for learning and memory formation. What’s more, scientists have even managed to pick out specific memories and consolidate them during sleep. However, the exact mechanisms behind this were unknown --- until now.
Those among us who grew up with the popular cartoon "Dexter’s Laboratory" might remember the famous episode wherein Dexter’s trying to learn French overnight.
He creates a device that helps him to learn in his sleep by playing French phrases to him.
Of course, since the show is a comedy, Dexter’s record gets stuck on the phrase "Omelette du fromage" and the next day he’s incapable of saying anything else.
This is, of course, a problem that puts him through a series of hilarious situations.
The idea that we can learn in our sleep has captivated the minds of artists and scientists alike; the possibility that one day we could all drastically improve our productivity by learning in our sleep is very appealing. But could such a scenario ever become a reality?
New research seems to suggest so, and scientists in general are moving closer to understanding precisely what goes on in the brain when we sleep and how the restful state affects learning and memory formation.
For instance, previous studies have shown that non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep — or dreamless sleep — is crucial for consolidating memories.
It has also been shown that sleep spindles, or sudden spikes in oscillatory brain activity that can be seen on an electroencephalogram (EEG) during the second stage of non-REM sleep, are key for this memory consolidation.
Scientists were also able to specifically target certain memories and reactivate, or strengthen, them by using auditory cues.
However, the mechanism behind such achievements remained mysterious until now. Researchers were also unaware if such mechanisms would help with memorizing new information.
