Sleep increases the retrieval of learnt information, especially information learnt before sleeping. Apparently, memory consolidation during sleep is common phenomenon among the animal kingdom. bees can remember their way to the hive better after they slept. The same is observed in birds and rats etc.
Any aspect that is conserved between species indicates that the aspect is successful.
During sleep the pathways that extend from the hippocampus and to the neocortex becomes active and memory becomes consolidated. this can be picked up from an electroencephalogram [ECG] as short wave sleep [non-REM]. There must be a specific pathway, that switches on specific genes that increases consolidation during sleep.
How can we switch on this pathway? We first need to know the specific proteins expressed and how changes in these leads to better consolidation?
Reference:
Vorster AP and Born J. 2014 Oct 7. Sleep and memory in mammals, birds and invertebrates. Neurosci Biobehav Rev.
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