Sleep and Memory

1 Course Unit

Why do we sleep? This question has puzzled scientists for centuries, but one reason emerging from research in the area is that sleep is critical for forming, retaining, and transforming our memories over time. This seminar explores human and animal research in psychology and neuroscience that has shed light on how sleep carries out these functions. Topics will include the different stages of sleep and their roles in memory consolidation, the neural systems involved in representing memory at different timescales, and the role of dreams in processing memories. 1 Course Unit