The document discusses the link between sleep and memory. It describes research showing that sleep-deprived mice experienced less dendritic growth than well-rested mice after a learning task, and that deep sleep results in physical changes in the brain that support learning and memory retention. The research revealed that learning is followed by growth of dendritic spines, and mice that learned a task and then slept experienced more dendritic growth than mice that stayed awake, supporting the role of sleep in strengthening memories.

1. Sleep and Neuroscience

2. Sleep and Memory
 Experts have long known that there is an important link between sleep and
memory
 Sleep-deprived mice experienced less dendritic growth than well-rested mice
 after a learning task
 Deep sleep results in actual physical changes in the brain
 Trying to learn something new? Have a big exam coming up?
 New research suggests that sleep plays a pivotal role in your brain's
 ability to learn new information.
 Learn first, then get a good night's sleep in order to encourage
learning and memory retention.
 One of the major explanations for why we sleep is known as the information
consolidation theory, which suggests that one of the primary functions of sleep is
to process information that has been acquired and stored throughout the day.
 "We've known for a long time that sleep plays an important role in learning and
memory. If you don't sleep well you won't learn well," suggested Wen- Biao Gan,
PhD, professor of neuroscience and physiology

3. How Does Sleep Enhance ?
⚫ Though experts had long known that sleep is critical for learning and
memory, the underlying mechanisms behind this process were not well
understood.
⚫ The study, published in Science, reveals that learning followed by sleep
helps promote the growth of dendritic spines.
⚫ These dentritic spines are tiny protrusions at the ends of neurons that
connect brain cells and facilitate the transmission of information across
synapses.
⚫ "Here we've shown how sleep helps neurons form very specific connections
on dendritic branches that may facilitate long-term memory.
⚫ We also show how different types of learning form synapses on different
branches of the same neurons, suggesting that learning causes very
specific structural changes in the brain," Gan explained in a press
release from the NYU Langone Media Center.

4. Evaluating the Impact of Sleep on Mice
⚫ To study this process, Gan and colleagues utilized mice that had
been genetically engineered to express fluorescent proteins in
neurons.
⚫The researchers were then able to utilize a laser-scanning
microscope to illuminate and track the growth of proteins in the
motor cortex, revealing the growth of dendritic spines before and
after the mice learned how to balance on a spin rod.
⚫ The scientists first observed that mice would indeed experience
dendritic
growth after learning to balance on the spin rods.
⚫Next, the mice were divided into two groups.
⚫The first group trained at balancing and then slept for seven hours.
⚫The second group performed the same training but stayed awake for
seven hours.

5. Increased Dendrite Growth In Well- Rested Mice
⚫ The results revealed that the mice in the sleep-deprivation group
experienced significantly less dendritic growth than those in the sleep
group.
⚫Interestingly, the type of task learned also influenced which
dendrites would grow.
⚫ The study offers insight into the importance of sleep and the impact it
has on learning and memory.
⚫ "Now we know that when we learn something new, a neuron will
grow new connections on a specific branch,” Gan suggested.
“Imagine a tree that grows leaves (spines) on one branch but not
another branch. When we learn something new, it’s like we’re -
sprouting leaves on a specific branch."

6. Top Reasons to Get a Good Night's Sleep
⚫ According to the National Sleep Foundation's 2008 "Sleep in America" poll, 29%
of participants reported becoming very sleepy or falling asleep alone at work in the
previous month.
⚫ Recent research has linked lack of sleep to a wide range of ailments,
including memory problems and obesity
⚫ Sleep May Help You Learn More Effectively
⚫ Researchers have long believed that sleep plays an important role in memory, also
recent evidence suggests that getting a good night's sleep can improve learning.
⚫ In one study, researchers found that depriving students of sleep after learning a new
skill significantly decreased memory of that skill up to three days later (Winerman,
2006).
⚫ Known as the memory consolidation theory of sleep, this notion proposes that sleep
processes and retains information learned earlier while awake. While there is
research both for and against the theory, many studies have shown that sleep can
play an important role in certain types of memory.

7. Top Reasons to Get a Good Night's Sleep
⚫ Research Suggests Sleep Deprivation May Contribute to Obesity
⚫ Lack of sleep has been linked to body weight.
⚫In one 2005 study published in the Archives of Internal
Medicine, overweight participants were found to sleep less than
participants of normal weight (Vorona et al., 2005).
⚫Brandon Peters,About.com's Guide to Sleep Disorders, reports that
poor sleep at age 30 months can predict obesity at age seven.
⚫While researchers do not yet understand exactly how sleep
disruption impacts appetite and metabolism, getting a good
night's sleep certainly can't hurt your weight loss or weight
maintenance efforts.

8. Top Reasons to Get a Good Night's Sleep
⚫ Sleep is Important for Managing Stress
⚫ According to many experts, most people need between seven and
eight hours of sleep each night.
⚫What happens when you don't get enough sleep?
⚫ Symptoms such as moodiness, anxiety, aggression, and increased
stress levels can result.
⚫ About.com's Guide to Stress Management, Elizabeth Scott,
suggests taking "power naps" to combat drowsiness, reduce
stress, and increase productivity.
⚫While sleeping more certainly won't eliminate all stress, it
can help increase your readiness to cope with the stress of
day-to-day life.

9. Top Reasons to Get a Good Night's Sleep
⚫ Sleep Can Help You Make Better Decisions
⚫ Have you ever found yourself struggling to make relatively simple decisions
after a night of poor sleep?
⚫ In addition to reducing such things as response time and accuracy, lack of
sleep has also been linked to difficulty making good decisions.
⚫ In one study published in the journal Sleep, researchers found that
sleepiness has a serious impact on the ability to make effective decisions
(Roehrs, 2004).
⚫ Another study suggested that sleep impairs decision-making when
gambling by increasing expectations of potential gains while minimizing
losses.
⚫ If you're facing a challenging decision, make sure that you are well rested
so that you will be at your best.