New Research Finds Two Ways Sleep Is Essential To Brain Health

To conduct this study, researchers simulated and examined different brain states (think waking versus sleeping), specifically looking into how new memories are encoded during sleep—and how old memories are maintained. Based on their observations of neural networks during different brain states, it appears sleep plays an important role in storing new memories and saving old ones by replaying them.

This discovery, according to Bazhenov, could explain how the brain is able to store multiple memories. Think of it like taping over a VHS but winding up with two movies on one tape; while we sleep, particular neurons will repeat and encode multiple memories, old and new.

As we get older, our ability to try new things and encode new memories is crucial to our overall well-being and quality of life. "Sleep may be critical for making possible what we call human intelligence," Bazhenov notes. "The ability to learn continuously from experience, to create new knowledge, and to adapt as the world changes around us."

And aside from highlighting the importance of getting enough sleep, the researchers say they hope their findings encourage more research and development into sleep tech that could improve memory and learning, particularly as we age.