Getting a full night of sleep helps your brain do more than rest — it helps you remember. New research shows that the order of your sleep stages matters. During deep, non-REM sleep, the brain stores new memories. Later, in REM sleep, it organizes and trims them so the important ones stick.
If this sequence gets mixed up, the brain might forget instead of remember. In mice and computer models, researchers saw that reversing the order of sleep stages could cause the brain to lose key information. They describe the process like “memory gardening” — growing first, then pruning.
This new theory could help explain why people with sleep disorders often struggle with memory. If proven in humans, it may lead to better treatments for memory loss and smarter sleep routines for learning and mental clarity.
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