Ask the Brains; October/November 2008; Scientific American Mind; by Yadhu Kumar, William B. Keith; 1 Page(s)

Yadhu Kumar, Konstanz, Germany Neuroendocrinologists Manfred Hallschmid and Susanne Diekelmann of the University of Lübeck in Germany reply:

The past two decades have yielded considerable evidence for sleep¿s pivotal role in memory consolidation. The lion¿s share of research has focused on the relevance of longer periods of nocturnal rest. For that reason, the duration that is actually needed for sleep¿s effects on memory to become behaviorally relevant has not yet been exhaustively investigated. We have reason to assume, however, that even short periods of rest can indeed improve memory formation.