The link between sleep and learning
Apr. 6, 2009 by Lisa Currie
From WebMD…
Want to learn something new? Try getting a good night’s sleep or taking a long nap.
Sleep is now recognized as being critical for learning and memory, and now a new study in fruit flies offers clues as to why.
The research found that, in fruit flies at least, sleep weakens and even destroys existing synapses within the brain to make room for the creation of new ones.
Neurologists believe that the brain encodes memories and learning by creating these new synapses, which connect information-processing neurons throughout the central nervous system.
Wesleyan Resources: Sleep
Image from here