In this article I would like to talk about sleep and its ability to help the human’s mind process information. It is important to note that a person cannot function without sleep meaning that regardless of whether one has the time one must sleep. But back to the question: Does sleep help you learn?
The simple answer is yes. When a person sleeps their brain starts processing their memories and turns them into long term memories or not worthwhile ones and makes you forget them. Another aspect of sleep which does not necessarily help you learn is if you try to study just before sleeping you are likely not to remember the information because your brain is already trying to power down. Same goes for when you are reading a book before bed, if you are thinking “I am so tired, but I would like to finish my book” it is not a clever idea as you will end up forgetting overnight and will have to reread that part in the morning. This also explains why the moments just before sleep are impossible to remember, because your brain has already shut down the gate to let added information in and you have become less responsive to external noises and general detractions. Even though this may seem annoying, sleep also helps you concentrate and retain information during the day, while also having lots of other benefits that one takes for granted.
In conclusion I would say that sleep is vital for learning and if one is to learn at the right time sleep can be a helpful process, even if cramming information can be a reassuring thing right before bed it is useless.