[Ailist] How sleep assists in remembering (and forgetting)

[Stephanie West Allen]

Excerpt from "Sleep on It: How Snoozing Makes You  
Smarter" ((Scientific American):

 >>During slumber, our brain engages in data analysis, from  
strengthening memories to solving problems
...

The latest research suggests that while we are peacefully asleep our  
brain is busily processing the day’s information. It combs through  
recently formed memories, stabilizing, copying and filing them, so  
that they will be more useful the next day. A night of sleep can make  
memories resistant to interference from other information and allow  
us to recall them for use more effectively the next morning. And  
sleep not only strengthens memories, it also lets the brain sift  
through newly formed memories, possibly even identifying what is  
worth keeping and selectively maintaining or enhancing these aspects  
of a memory. When a picture contains both emotional and unemotional  
elements, sleep can save the important emotional parts and let the  
less relevant background drift away. It can analyze collections of  
memories to discover relations among them or identify the gist of a  
memory while the unnecessary details fade—perhaps even helping us  
find the meaning in what we have learned.<<


Rest here:

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=how-snoozing-makes-you- 
smarter&print=true

Stephanie

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Stephanie West Allen, JD
New seminar: http://www.brainsonpurpose.net
http://www.brainsonpurpose.com
http://www.idealawg.net
Denver, CO USA