Recharge to refresh your brain Verywell Mind / AD Astra Team/Stocksy Medically reviewed by Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD, FAAN Medically reviewed by Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD, FAAN

We’ve all had that experience where we don’t get enough sleep and notice our brain feels extra foggy the next day. Maybe we’re slower to remember where we put our phone or keys, and we might not easily recall what day of the week it is or what’s on the day’s to-do list.

But while it’s clear that sleep deprivation can cause us to be more forgetful than usual, can a better night’s sleep actually boost our memory? Likewise, what happens when we are chronically sleep deprived —will that impact our memory on a more long-term basis?

We connected with sleep experts to help us unpack everything to know about sleep and memory, including the best ways to ensure you get enough sleep to keep your memory sharp . Sleep and Your Memory

Sleep and memory are closely linked, and sleep plays a pivotal role in the formation and consolidation of our memories, says Sanam Hafeez, PsyD , neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind.

While we sleep, we cycle through different stages of sleep. Essentially, there are four main stages of sleep: Stages of Sleep

Stage 1: Light sleep

Stage 2: Deeper sleep

Stage 3: Deep sleep, or deep slow-wave sleep (SWS) (stages 1–3 reflect non-REM sleep ) Stage 4: Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep , or dreaming sleep According to Dr. Hafeez, it’s mostly during SWS and REM sleep that the brain integrates information accumulated during your waking hours, and transfers these into your long-term memory stores. “This consolidation process strengthens neural connections linked to memories, enhancing the ability to learn and remember new information,” she says.Each of these primary memory stages—SWS and REM—play slightly different roles. In a nutshell, SWS is for consolidating memories that include facts or events, Dr. Hafeez says. But REM sleep is more about procedural memory consolidation.“During SWS, memories are transferred from short-term storage to long-term storage, making them more stable and easier to […]

Can a Better Night’s Sleep Boost Your Memory?