IIPM Press Release :- Snore for more

IIPM PUBLICATION

Memories: Take a nap to close the gap!

“You forgot our anniversary!” the wife screamed; the apologetic hubby was at a loss for words. Perhaps, a common sight in any household. It won’t be as common after you realise that it could be helped with something as simple as getting your naps in time!

A study, with a focus on declarative memories (related to facts and events), conducted on four controlled groups – two of them sleeping before the test and two awake – showed that sleep helped better recall, even after being subjected to interfering information! This work extended previous studies by demonstrating that sleep does not merely protect memories passively, but also assists in memory consolidation.

One of the first theories linking sleep to memory suggested that firing of neurons during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep in human foetuses was associated with neuron growth and development, and this continued in adult life too. This signpost concept led to the theory of ‘dynamic stabilisation’ which describes how information is remembered by repetitive use of the paths in the brain.

Experiments on animals too concur with the connection between REM Sleep and memory. Exposure to learning increased REM Sleep after these tests. While REM consolidates memory, any information acquisition increases REM Sleep – an indicator of reverse hypothesis. It was also found that inducing sleep was a lot faster after learning, a possible explanation for this being the ‘urgency’ to begin the memory consolidation. To add to the intrigue, the number of REMs per minute increases for several nights after complex material has been learnt.

Studies on humans are coherent with the animal studies where the converse of sleep consolidating memory is found true. REM Sleep deprivation led to poor performance on a variety of recall tests. It has also been found that there is a memory loss on deprived sleep on the same night or two nights after any material has been learned! Fascinatingly, memory has been affected only when the deprivation is specific to the first two or last two REM episodes of the night. Research has also shown that along with memory, sleep may be related to better immunity, physical and cognitive performance, and mood regulation.

So, all you need to ensure against forgotten birthdays or anniversaries are REM-naps. If you wake up to find her still, next to you, don’t forget to apologise!

Edit bureau: Srinivas Chetan

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)