Sleep is critical not only for its restorative benefits but also for the memory reactivation that occurs covertly during sleep. Corresponding changes in information storage in the brain can help to make memories available when needed. In many people, sleep-based memory processing may be suboptimal, such as when worries are excessively revisited overnight. We can now study this hidden memory-related brain activity using EEG recordings and subtle sensory stimulation during sleep. By working to specify the relevant neurophysiology, we gain insights into how learning depends on sleep-based processing. Memory reactivation during sleep can counteract forgetting and facilitate problem solving, creativity, and emotional regulation. Our work on engaging sleeping individuals in a two-way dialogue while they are dreaming also offers new strategies for studies of sleep cognition. Uncovering how sleep impacts various dimensions of cognition has valuable implications for guiding attempts to optimize sleep and modify memory-related brain activity at night, thereby changing the waking mind for the better.
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