A good night’s sleep not only leaves you feeling refreshed; it also boosts your long-term memory. Scientists who analysed the brain scans of volunteers found that restful slumber helps to consolidate memories. This is because during a solid sleep, memories of recent events are shifted from one part of the brain to another for long-term storage. The findings suggest that those who do not get enough rest could be operating well below their best.
A test between 2 groups who were allowed to sleep, while others stayed awake all night playing video games revealed many facts. The facts showed how brain transmitted memories of how to navigate from the region of the brain that helps remember directions, the hippocampus, to a region that determines how we move, the striatum. They showed that the group which had slept well was using the striatum to navigate around the virtual town. The team that had been deprived of sleep was still using the hippocampus, suggesting that the information had not yet been consolidated in the long-term memory. Both groups were still able to achieve the tasks we set them, but they were not using the same part of the brain to perform them. Shifting memories from one part of the brain to another, increases alertness.
Source : TOI
