Dreaming, Napping Can Improve Memory, Study Says

(CBS)  If you're one of the people who thinks sleeping is a waste of time, dream on.

A new study from Harvard Medical School found that napping, and dreaming in particular, can be a surprisingly effective learning tool.

CBS News Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton explained on "The Early Show" that during the study, 99 participants were taught to navigate a virtual maze on a computer screen. Half were then allowed to nap for 90 minutes, while the other half stayed awake. Later that day, all participants were re-tested on the maze task. Those who reported dreaming about the maze significantly improved their performance. They did better than people who had slept, but did not dream, and better than those who stayed awake rehearsing the task in their minds.

Special Section: Dr. Jennifer Ashton

Ashton said scientists don't really know why dreams boost learning because it's such a complex process. However, Ashton pointed out that there are stages of sleep. Most dreaming occurs after 90 minutes of sleep.

"You can think of it almost like putting Jell-O in the refrigerator. You can eat the Jell-O before it's really hardened, but it's really good once it's been locked in, and that's the thinking behind what sleeping does to processing memory."

She added that researchers point out that when you learn something, it is not just dreaming that causes you to remember it. Rather it appears that when you have a new experience, it sets in motion a series of parallel events that allow the brain to consolidate and process memories.

"Our dreams may be how our brain presents to us the memory processing that it's doing," she said. "Some people have viewed dreaming as a mystery or entertainment, but this study suggests it is a by-product of memory processing. Whether you have to remember your dreams to get the benefit is not entirely clear yet, but the researchers suspect not."

To to reap the benefits of dreaming, Ashton said this study used 90 minutes of sleep because participants could enter the REM Cycle, in which you go all the way down into deep sleep then come back up.

But she said people could conceivably reap the benefits in as little as a half hour.

"Studies have shown for sleep and memory, as little as 12 minutes can help remember things better," she said. "Study a list of words. Then nap for 12 minutes. And voila, you do much better on the test."

She added, "Most Americans are chronically tired and sleep-deprived. And those who find they're sleeping more on a weekend to catch up, it doesn't work that way. You need to get a regular amount of sleep -- seven to eight hours is ideal -- every night. And really, it's not just for your physical health, but for your mental and intellectual health as well."

[flylowguy]

I discovered this very thing in my work as an electronic product developer working in a Chinese partnership. The time difference (15 hours ahead in China) requires that I get up at 4:00 AM and work for 4 hours online with my partners, then do it again at 5:00 PM with the factory engineers. So I sleep from 11:00 PM to 4:00 AM, and take a nap of about 2 hours each afternoon.
I noticed that I have much better and more productive thinking abilities as a result of this schedule. It makes for a nice day too. I feel good in the early morning, good after the nap, and good all the way to 11:00.
Try it (if your company permits). You'll be surprised how much better your life becomes.
Maybe the Mexicans knew something with their 'siesta' all along.

[edixope4842]

Now the question becomes, does daydreaming also have a purpose in filing away memories or is it just goofing off?

[rwsmith29456]

Again, is this news? I've heard for about the last 40 years that sleep is a time that your brain puts itself in order and files memories. I would think anybody would know that concentration diminishes with sleep deprivation.

[ToolMangler1]

I sleep all the time, and have..............Total recall.........an somepthin else!!!!!

[edixope4842]

Yea mangler, we know, you have one of those pornographic memories.

[Floretta52]

I have always dreamed and remembered dreaming, from when I was very young, and yes my memory is good. I learned years ago how to either halt a scary dream and wake up, or "turn the page" so to speak and start a new dream, all while sleeping. On the other hand, I have never been able to nap during the day except for a handful of times when I was ill. I envy those who can catnap mid-day with no assistance in either going to sleep or waking from their catnap without an alarm.

[faile13]

I'm very curious if this link has been studied with ADHD/ADD. My husband and son both have ADD and hardly ever dream-or remember their dreams, and they have terrible recall. I, and my daughters do not have ADD/ADHD and dream and remember those dreams and we have better memories.

[edixope4842]

Just a thought-if the husband and son with the ADD are on medication it is possible that the medication is interfering with the sleep cycle-the body is going to sleep but the brain is not getting spontaneous REM sleep.