Have you ever thought: Sleeping is a waste?

It was 4am and 8am with the important test, followed by the piano recital. Although you have been studying and practicing for many days but still not ready. So what should we do now? You can get another cup of coffee and spend the next few hours on exam and practice, but believe it or not, it's better to close your books and go to bed.

Sleep accounts for nearly a third of life but many people pay very little attention to it. Many people think that sleeping is a waste of time or just a way to rest when all the important things are done. But actually, sleep is a vital activity that the body needs to balance and regulate everything from circulation, respiration to immunity, recovery and growth.

The sleep was great, but just putting it aside after the exam, will the exam finish sleeping?

Sleep is very important for the brain.

Wrong!Sleep turns out to be extremely important for the brain , and sleep is a remodeling stage of the brain. Our ability to remember doesn't seem to be really good. Nineteenth-century psychologist - Herman Ebbinghaus points out that we often forget 40% of new knowledge within the first 20 minutes. This can be improved by memory consolidation when information is transferred from short-term memory to long-term memory. It occurs with help from an important part of the brain, known as the hippocampus.

The role of the hippocampus's long-term memory formation was demonstrated in the 1950s by Brenda Milner. In one study in a patient, after removing the hippocampus, the patient's ability to form long-term memory was damaged, but he was still able to learn the exercise through repetition. That said, the hippocampus participates in long-term memory consolidation as concepts for the test, rather than permanent memory like finger movements when playing the piano.

Milner's discovery, coupled with the achievement of Eric Kandel in the 1990s, provided a model of memory. The information is first backed up temporarily in neurons that form a temporary memory, then it travels to the hippocampus, where the synaptic bonds formed allow new connections between the neurons to be strengthened. In the cerebral cortex helps remember longer.

Have you ever encountered an event just once but cannot forget it?

There are several ways to affect the extent and effectiveness of memorization. For example, memory formed when emotions are elevated will be better preserved by the connection of the hippocampus to the emotions. But one of the main factors that contributes to memory consolidation is a good night's sleep.

Shortening sleep does not only affect long-term health but also makes you forget the knowledge quickly.

Sleep consists of four stages, the two most important of which are Non-REM and REM. The EEG machine that monitors people during sleep has shown that electrical impulses traveling between the brain stem, the hippocampus, the cerebral cortex, the cerebral cortex and the cerebral cortex during sleep help reinforce different types of memory.

During the Non-REM stage , the memory is encoded and temporarily stored in the anterior part of the hippocampus. Through constant exchanges between the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus, it is constantly reactivated and gradually redistributed into long-term memory in the cerebral cortex. On the other hand, REM sleep strengthens the permanent memory. So, according to some studies, going to bed for about three hours after memorizing formulas and an hour after practicing a piece of music would be most ideal for remembering longer.

So shortening sleep not only affects your long-term health but also makes you forget the knowledge and exercises from the night before. When you understand the restructuring and the connections that occur in the brain during sleep, rest assured that you have a suitable sleep so that when you wake up with a new brain, you will be ready. ready to face every challenge.

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