Sleep and Memory

For a long time, sleep was regarded as a period when the brain simply switched off.

長久以來，人們認為睡眠只是大腦單純關機的時期。

Research now shows that it is remarkably active throughout the night.

如今的研究顯示，大腦在整個夜晚都異常活躍。

During deep sleep, the brain appears to replay and strengthen memories formed during the day.

在深層睡眠期間，大腦似乎會重播並強化白天形成的記憶。

Information is gradually transferred from short-term to long-term storage.

資訊會逐漸從短期儲存轉移到長期儲存。

Dreaming may also help us process emotions and connect unrelated ideas.

做夢也可能幫助我們處理情緒，並把互不相關的想法連結起來。

This could explain why solutions to problems sometimes appear after a good night's rest.

這或許能解釋，為什麼問題的解決辦法有時會在好好睡一覺之後出現。

Conversely, a lack of sleep impairs both learning and decision-making.

反之，睡眠不足會損害學習能力和決策能力。

Students who stay up all night before an exam may therefore be undermining their efforts.

因此，考試前熬夜通宵的學生，可能反而削弱了自己的努力。

Protecting sleep is one of the simplest ways to improve how well we learn.

保護好睡眠，是提升學習成效最簡單的方法之一。