Researchers from the Center for Mathematical Cognitiveness of the University of Lafboro (Great Britain) Jane Spieller and Camilla Gilmore conducted a study on the influence of sleep on mathematical memory. The results, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, showed that sleep after training contributes to better memorization.
In the experiment, 77 adults aged 18 to 40 from the UK participated. Each participant studied complex examples of multiplication in two conditions: before bedtime (training with sleep) and in the morning (daytime training). The participants took part in online sessions, during which they studied new tasks or reviewed previously studied material.
The study revealed that participants who trained with sleep better remembered the information compared to those who trained during the daytime. This advantage was observed even among participants with different learning abilities.
The study highlighted the importance of utilizing sleep for educational purposes. It suggested that sleep can be particularly useful for children and students who are learning the multiplication table or trying to master other skills that require the development of mathematical memory.
However, the authors acknowledged potential limitations in their study. They noted that sleep may facilitate the consolidation of new information in the brain by minimizing interference from other stimuli. In contrast, while awake, the brain is exposed to conversations, reading, media consumption, and other activities that can hinder effective information consolidation.