We have all heard the old saying, "Sleep on it," when trying to solve a problem or making an important decision. There might be some scientific truth to that advice, especially when it comes to mathematics.
Phys.org tells us that a recent study by researchers Jayne Spiller and Camilla Gilmore at the Center for Mathematical Cognition, University of Loughborough, UK, suggests that learning math before bedtime can significantly improve your math memory.
Math Before Bedtime
In their groundbreaking research, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, Spiller and Gilmore set out to explore the fascinating connection between sleep and mathematical memory.
They specifically focused on whether learning complex multiplication problems before sleep could enhance recall compared to learning them when awake.
The study involved 77 adult participants aged 18 to 40 from the United Kingdom. Each participant was tasked with learning complex multiplication problems in two conditions: before sleep (referred to as the "sleep learning" condition) and in the morning (referred to as the "wake learning" condition).
The participants completed online sessions where they were either introduced to new complex multiplication problems or tested on previously learned material. These sessions included untimed and timed trials to assess their memory and recall.
Interesting Findings
The results of the study were eye-opening. Participants who had learned complex multiplication problems before bedtime demonstrated significantly better recall than those who learned them in the morning.
This improvement in recall was observed across the board, even when considering variations in individual learning abilities. The effect size was moderate for participants with a history of successful learning (achieving 60% accuracy or higher) and smaller but still present for all participants.
Interestingly, the researchers found that participants' overall mathematical proficiency, measured by their accuracy in solving simple multiplication problems, was associated with their learning scores but not with the extent of the sleep-related recall benefit.
This suggests that the benefits of sleep on memory are not necessarily linked to one's general math skills.
Important Considerations
The positive impact of sleep on the recall of complex multiplication problems suggests that incorporating bedtime math lessons or practice could be an effective strategy for students learning multiplication tables or other math memorization skills.
One intriguing aspect of the study is the possible explanation for the sleep-related memory boost. The researchers speculate that the sleeping brain may be more adept at locking in new learning because it faces minimal external competition.
In contrast, the waking brain is often bombarded with various stimuli like everyday conversations, media consumption, and other learning materials.
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