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Cited by 460Sleep and Wakefulness ResearchMemory and Neural MechanismsMemory Processes and Influences

Sleep after learning aids memory recall

Open access
Gais, Steffen, Lucas, Brian, Born, Jan·2006·Learning & Memory
DOI 10.1101/lm.132106PMC PMC10807868
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Abstract

In recent years, the effect of sleep on memory consolidation has received considerable attention. In humans, these studies concentrated mainly on procedural types of memory, which are considered to be hippocampus-independent. Here, we show that sleep also has a persisting effect on hippocampus-dependent declarative memory. In two experiments, we examined high school students’ ability to remember vocabulary. We show that declarative memory is enhanced when sleep follows within a few hours of learning, independent of time of day, and with equal amounts of interference during retention intervals. Sleep deprivation has a detrimental effect on memory, which was significant after a night of recovery sleep. Thus, fatigue accumulating during wake intervals could be ruled out as a confound.

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  • There is now very strong evidence that sleep has an effect on memory independent of the effects of rest or lack of interference.

    “Whereas the older studies from the 1970s and before typically confound the sleep manipulation with time-of-day effects or fatigue, this is no longer the case in the recent studies, so that there is now very strong evidence that sleep does indeed have an effect on memory independent of the effects of, say, rest or lack of interference.”

    From Replication and Analysis of Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve (2015) · cites this paper as [54]

    The Abstract reports a sleep benefit for vocabulary recall independent of time of day and with equal amounts of interference during retention; the discussion (p. 259) also rules out acute fatigue. But the discussion allows that sleep may help by providing an interference-free period soon after learning, and the cited passages do not establish an effect independent of rest. The claim overstates what this study rules out. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  • Retention is better if learning is followed by sleep rather than wakefulness.

    “demonstrating that retention is better if followed by sleep rather than wakefulness.7,18”

    From Sleep Restriction Impairs Vocabulary Learning when Adolescents Cram for Exams: The Need for Sleep Study (2016) · cites this paper as [18]

  • Sleep occurring within 3 h after learning vocabulary was more beneficial than sleep delayed by more than 10 h.

    “For example, sleep occurring within 3 h after learning vocabulary was more beneficial than sleep delayed by more than 10 h (431).”

    From About Sleep's Role in Memory (2013) · cites this paper as [431]

  • A time dependency of the effects of sleep on memory formation is indicated by studies showing stronger effects for sleep occurring shortly after learning than for sleep at a later time.

    “A time dependency of the effects of sleep on memory formation is indicated by studies showing stronger effects for sleep occurring shortly after learning than for sleep at a later time (80,343,431,899,1172).”

    From About Sleep's Role in Memory (2013) · cites this paper as [431]

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [17]17. Revelle, W. and Loftus, D.A. 1992. The implications of arousal effects for the study of affect and memory. In Handbook of emotion and memory (ed. S.A. Christianson), pp. 113-150.

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Authors
Gais, S., Lucas, B., & Born, J.
Affiliations
University of Lübeck (DE)
Venue
Learning & Memory
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Published
2006-05
Volume
13
Issue
3
Pages
259-262
ISSN
  • 1072-0502 (ISSN-L)
  • 1549-5485
DOI
10.1101/lm.132106
PMC
PMC10807868
OpenAlex
W2141490089
Cited by
457
References
27
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 47 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 27 · 2014: 28 · 2013: 24 · 2012: 25
Type
posted content
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Learning & Memory (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • eCommons (Cornell University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
Keywords
sleep, memory consolidation, declarative memory, hippocampal-dependent memory, sleep deprivation, vocabulary acquisition, memory retrieval, retention interval, interference, recovery sleep, fatigue
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Circadian Rhythm, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Recall, Retention, Psychology, Sleep, Time Factors, Verbal Learning, Wakefulness

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