Learning easily while sleeping is everyone's dream. One of the functions of sleep is to consolidate daytime memories. Although everyone needs to sleep, this physiological phenomenon is still shrouded in a mysterious veil. Despite numerous difficulties, neuroscientists are still working hard. In recent decades, incredible progress has been made in this field, and one particularly difficult topic to study is the role of sleep in memory. During sleep, the brain shifts to a consolidation mode. When people are awake, the brain is ready to create or 'encode' new memories. However, during sleep, the brain shifts towards consolidation mode. When you learn new knowledge during the day, your brain forms memory traces. Initially, these traces were particularly susceptible to interference. In other words, it is easy to forget. Then, during sleep, memory traces are consolidated and stabilized. At the cellular level, memory is formed by altering the strength of synaptic connections in the network representing memory. During sleep, synapses (connections between brain cells) are reshaped, producing permanent changes, consolidating memory traces, and helping to create long-term memories. Although researchers are still deciphering the precise process, during sleep, the hippocampus (an important brain region related to memory) plays back memories. This helps to make permanent changes to memory traces and their related neural networks. Going to bed shortly after learning new knowledge helps with memory. Declarative memory is defined as remembering events and facts, such as a friend's name and what they ate last night. Research has shown that going to bed shortly after learning new knowledge helps the brain more effectively consolidate declarative memory. Psychologists at the University of Notre Dame in the United States require participants to learn paired words. The results showed that those who went to bed shortly after the end of the learning task performed better on the test 24 hours later than those who slept long after the task ended. Neuroendocrinologists at the University of L ü beck in Germany asked high school students to learn new vocabulary and obtained similar results: those who slept a few hours after learning retained better memory. Does napping help consolidate memories? Sleep is crucial for health, not just memory. Experts unanimously agree that the average person needs 7-9 hours of sleep per night, although there are significant individual differences. When it comes to sleep and memory, taking a nap during the day is very helpful. Experimental psychologists at the University of Dusseldorf in Germany have found that even a few minutes of napping can improve people's performance in declarative memory. Neurobiologists at the University of T ü bingen in Germany have found that a 90 minute nap is more effective than a 40 minute nap in consolidating memory. Although the research results in this area are not always consistent, overall, napping can help some people consolidate their memories. For example, a systematic review of 22 studies by sleep medicine experts at Kermanshah Medical University in Iran concluded that daytime napping is effective in improving the performance of healthy adults in declarative memory. Therefore, although a whole night's sleep is more effective in consolidating memory, occasional tactical naps can also help with memorizing information. Providing people with tips helps to consolidate memory during sleep. Research has shown that the consolidation process that occurs during sleep prioritizes memories that are more relevant to the future. This logically makes sense because the brain cannot remember every little thing that happens during a day, so it must choose what information it can store. For example, neuroendocrine scientists at the University of L ü beck in Germany require participants to learn paired words. They told some participants that a test would be held the next day, and the results showed that people who slept before the test performed better than those who did not sleep, but only if they knew there was a test to be conducted. That is to say, giving people prompts helps to consolidate memories. Physiologists at the New York University School of Medicine have found that the sense of smell is closely related to the parts of the brain that play an important role in memory and emotion. Many people have had the experience that when they smell a certain odor, it immediately triggers a memory or emotion, and some scientists have therefore examined whether odor helps to consolidate and improve memory. Psychologists from the University of Freiburg in Germany tested this relationship in real-life environments. Researchers asked 54 students to place rose scented branches next to them while learning new vocabulary at home. A week later, they took the exam held by the school. The results showed that students who smelled rose fragrance during study, sleep, and exams performed better. Specifically, their success rate in memorizing new vocabulary increased by 30%. Due to the ease of smelling fragrance, it is worth trying. In addition to the role of smell, researchers have also examined whether other types of stimuli, including sound, can help consolidate memory during sleep. For example, psychologists at Baylor University in the United States examined whether listening to classical music helps to consolidate memory. The reason for choosing classical music is to not interfere with learning. If people listen to lyrical music while studying, the singing may interfere with their cognitive processes. Researchers played classical music with unique melodies during a microeconomics lecture. That night, during slow wave sleep, researchers either played the same music to students or played white noise. The results showed that students who listened to classical music while sleeping performed better in the test than those who listened to white noise. Interestingly, this effect is more pronounced in women. Although there are still many mysteries in the field of sleep that have not been solved, one thing is clear: sleep is crucial for consolidating memory and many other important activities. To improve sleep quality and consolidate memory, the following methods can be used: 1. Arrange sleep as an important task, such as making it a priority; 2. Develop good sleep habits, falling asleep and waking up at the same time every day; 3. Create a suitable sleeping environment, dim the temperature and lighting in the bedroom, and stay away from electronic devices for 2 hours before bedtime; For students, the best approach is to adopt effective learning strategies when awake and then get a good night's sleep. (New Society)