When we’re sleeping, our brain doesn’t just use this time to rest. It processes the information we learned in the day and stores our memories. However, although it feels like our brain completely shuts off and we’re unaware of our surroundings, it seems that the brain is alert even while we’re sleeping, staying open to receiving new information.
Here are some things we can learn while sleeping.
A New Language
A recent study found that we can learn foreign words better if we listen to them during sleep. The scientists learned that playing foreign words to a group of sleeping subjects helped them remember these words the next day better than the control group. They even found that the sleepers still showed better results compared to a group that listened to the words while they were awake.
Playing an Instrument
One of the most interesting things we can learn while sleeping is playing melodies. In one study, scientists explored how people played guitar melodies using a similar technique from the popular game Guitar Hero. When the subjects went to sleep, the scientists played them the same melody they were learning to play.
The group that was played the melody during their sleep played it much better than the group that didn’t.
Where We Put an Item
In a 2013 study, scientists had subjects place an object in a location on the computer screen. When they did, a specific tune played each time. The group that was played this tune while sleeping remembered these locations better after they were woken up from their slumber.
Conclusion
It seems that there are a lot of things we can learn while sleeping. So, play yourself a recording of a difficult lesson or guitar solo to improve your knowledge and skills even during sleep.
