Sleep is key in helping you retain the information you learned during the day. This is called memory consolidation. As such, sleep greatly affects our ability to learn.

While you sleep, your hippocampus organizes information. Much like a sorting centre, your brain unloads everything that you experienced throughout the day.

Your brain plays and re-enacts representations of learned knowledge. It trades information between its various parts depending on the type of memory (semantic, emotional, spatial or procedural). It’s how your brain encodes information in your long-term memory.

Knowledge is also built during sleep because that’s when the brain links memories together. New connections are created between neurons, growing your knowledge. That’s why it’s vital to have a restful sleep before and after learning.

Next time you have a training session, be sure to get enough sleep the night before and the night after!