Short Sleep = Poor Memory

Rebecca Lewis July 23, 2014

Numerous studies have shown that lack of sleep can lead to mood changes or irritability, a lack of energy or motivation, poor performance at school or work, tension headaches or stomach aches, and other health issues. Now, a new study found that sleep deficits can lead to errors in memory too.

It is no secret that a good night’s sleep makes you feel better and refreshed. Not only does it give your body time to rest and recharge, quality sleep is also crucial to your brain’s ability to learn and remember. Experts have long believed that sleep is required for consolidation of a memory, whether short or long-term memory. Aside from sharpening the mind, previous studies suggest sleep affects physical reflexes, fine motor skills, and judgment, too.

Poor sleep leads to memory problems

Researchers from Michigan State University (MSU) and the University of California, Irvine (UC-Irvine) found that participants deprived of a night’s sleep were more likely to botch the details of a simulated burglary they were shown in a series of images.

Specifically, participants who were kept awake for 24 hours — and even those who got five or fewer hours of sleep — were more likely to mix up event details than participants who were well rested.

“We found memory distortion is greater after sleep deprivation,” said Kimberly Fenn, MSU associate professor of psychology and co-investigator on the study.

“And people are getting less sleep each night than they ever have.”

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in the US calls insufficient sleep an epidemic and said it’s linked to vehicle crashes, industrial disasters, and chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.

“People who repeatedly get low amounts of sleep every night could be more prone in the long run to develop these forms of memory distortion,” Fenn said.

“It’s not just a full night of sleep deprivation that puts them at risk.”

Their findings were published in the journal Psychological Science.

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Sleep Deficits = Memory Problems