<p>I don't think that it is possible to learn new facts while sleeping, but it is certainly possible to reactivate certain memories during sleep and thereby affect the probability of those memories being retained. </p>

<p>In one study, participants learned a visuospatial task while smelling an odour. They were better at remembering how to perform the task if they were subsequently exposed to the same odour during sleep.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Reactivating Memories during Sleep by Odors: Odor Specificity and
  Associated Changes in Sleep Oscillations, Julia S. Rihm,  Susanne
  Diekelmann,  Jan Born and  Björn Rasch
  <a href="https://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/jocn_a_" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/jocn_a_</a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>In another study, participants had to learn spatial locations for some objects and a sound associated with each object. The sounds associated with some of these objects were played back to them during sleep. Upon awakening, they were better at recalling the locations of objects whose sounds they had heard during sleep.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Strengthening Individual Memories by Reactivating Them During Sleep,
  John D. Rudoy, Joel L. Voss, Carmen E. Westerberg, Ken A. Paller
  <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/326/5956/1079" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://science.sciencemag.org/content/326/5956/1079</a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>In another study, participants remembered melodies better if they later heard those melodies during sleep.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Cued memory reactivation during sleep influences skill learning James
  W Antony, Eric W Gobel, Justin K O'Hare,  Paul J Reber&amp; Ken A Paller
  <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.3152" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.3152</a></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-01T07:03:59.817Z
2019-07-01T07:03:59.817Z
Angela Pretorius
<p>I am almost a layman but I got to learn something on the subject.</p>

<p>As far as I could understand, what in common can be found in wake/sleep and learning are the <em>brain waves</em>. Neurons exchange signals in form of electrical pulses and the collective frequency of these firing rates are indeed these brain waves. In <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2017/brain-waves-reflect-different-types-learning-1011" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this article</a> it is pointed out that learning can be differentiated in explicit and implicit. </p>

<p>Explicit learning occurs, for example, as one is engaged in learning English grammar rules (that posted article explains more in deep the difference between explicit and implicit learning) This kind of learning is characterised by the dominance of high frequency brain waves (called <em>alpha</em> and <em>beta</em>, the latter being faster. This range is characterised by frequencies of 10-30 hertz. Hertz is a measure of frequency, defined as <span class="math-container">$1/second$</span>, that is: consider for example the centrifugue of the washing machine: if it does 10 rounds in a second, then its frequency is 10 hertz).</p>

<p>On the other hand, when one sleeps, his/her brain wave frequency drops from <em>alpha</em> to <em>theta</em> in the pre-sleep stage and eventually to <em>delta</em> in the deep sleep phase. This latter is the slowest frequency of the spectrum (ranging in 1 to 4 hertz according to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/delta-wave" rel="nofollow noreferrer">refer here for more</a>). </p>

<p>Hence I would say that active learning as could performed during wake can not be accomplished during sleep inasmuch there is not the proper brain waves setting to, almost for what concerns explicit learning.</p>

<p>I hope it helps and hope I got the point correctly. Wish you best luck with your study!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-02T18:53:42.073Z
It's not really correct to say that the "brain wave frequency drops": waves of different frequencies come from different sources, delta waves aren't just "alpha waves slowed down", they originate from different patterns of activity. Additionally, power falls off with frequency as 1/f or 1/f^2 (or some other exponent), so there is pretty much always more delta than alpha for example: it's just that in sleep delta goes up and alpha goes down relative to wake. Lastly, none of these things actually say anything about the question except to say "the brain is in a different state during sleep"
Bryan Krause
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-04T11:25:58.603Z
Thank you for your remarks, Bryan! I will dig into the subject some deeper. However, indeed the fact that the brain is in different states in terms of waves frequencies during sleep points out that some cognitive processes, such as explicit learning, may not take place whatsoever in sleep stage, is it that phrased correctly like this?
matte
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-04T15:36:13.513Z
Yes I would just be careful to not make it sound like the inability to learn explicitly is *caused* by the change in spectrum.
Bryan Krause
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-01T13:30:38.797Z
2019-07-01T13:30:38.797Z
matte
<p>Time is short in the days of learning for me but I like listening to lectures and case studies about code in my field. I've thought about getting a <a href="https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B07Q34ZKLF" rel="noreferrer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Bluetooth Sleep Headphone</a> to possibly listen to these lectures and studies while sleeping. </p>

<p>However, upon my research I've only be able to find on this site one a Q&amp;A without an answer: "<a href="https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/9843/can-one-learn-whilst-sleeping-can-one-solidify-a-memory-study-for-exams-by-li">Can one learn whilst sleeping? Can one solidify a memory &amp; study for exams by listening to recordings while asleep?</a>". </p>

<p>In my research and Google kungfu I've seen questionable sites that indicate as yes and some no but I was wondering have there been any creditable university case studies that show wether this is factually possible?</p>

<sleep>
Is there any scientific data showing one can learn while sleeping?
Gʀɪᴍ
# Is there any scientific data showing one can learn while sleeping?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-06-27)

Time is short in the days of learning for me but I like listening to lectures and case studies about code in my field. I've thought about getting a [Bluetooth Sleep Headphone](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B07Q34ZKLF) to possibly listen to these lectures and studies while sleeping.

However, upon my research I've only be able to find on this site one a Q&A without an answer: "[Can one learn whilst sleeping? Can one solidify a memory & study for exams by listening to recordings while asleep?](https://medicalsciences.stackexchange.com/questions/9843/can-one-learn-whilst-sleeping-can-one-solidify-a-memory-study-for-exams-by-li)".

In my research and Google kungfu I've seen questionable sites that indicate as yes and some no but I was wondering have there been any creditable university case studies that show wether this is factually possible?

**Tags:** sleep


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-07-01. Score: 4

I don't think that it is possible to learn new facts while sleeping, but it is certainly possible to reactivate certain memories during sleep and thereby affect the probability of those memories being retained.

In one study, participants learned a visuospatial task while smelling an odour. They were better at remembering how to perform the task if they were subsequently exposed to the same odour during sleep.

> Reactivating Memories during Sleep by Odors: Odor Specificity and
> Associated Changes in Sleep Oscillations, Julia S. Rihm, Susanne
> Diekelmann, Jan Born and Björn Rasch
> <https://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/jocn_a_>

In another study, participants had to learn spatial locations for some objects and a sound associated with each object. The sounds associated with some of these objects were played back to them during sleep. Upon awakening, they were better at recalling the locations of objects whose sounds they had heard during sleep.

> Strengthening Individual Memories by Reactivating Them During Sleep,
> John D. Rudoy, Joel L. Voss, Carmen E. Westerberg, Ken A. Paller
> <https://science.sciencemag.org/content/326/5956/1079>

In another study, participants remembered melodies better if they later heard those melodies during sleep.

> Cued memory reactivation during sleep influences skill learning James
> W Antony, Eric W Gobel, Justin K O'Hare, Paul J Reber& Ken A Paller
> <https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.3152>


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-07-01. Score: 3

I am almost a layman but I got to learn something on the subject.

As far as I could understand, what in common can be found in wake/sleep and learning are the *brain waves*. Neurons exchange signals in form of electrical pulses and the collective frequency of these firing rates are indeed these brain waves. In [this article](http://news.mit.edu/2017/brain-waves-reflect-different-types-learning-1011) it is pointed out that learning can be differentiated in explicit and implicit.

Explicit learning occurs, for example, as one is engaged in learning English grammar rules (that posted article explains more in deep the difference between explicit and implicit learning) This kind of learning is characterised by the dominance of high frequency brain waves (called *alpha* and *beta*, the latter being faster. This range is characterised by frequencies of 10-30 hertz. Hertz is a measure of frequency, defined as $1/second$, that is: consider for example the centrifugue of the washing machine: if it does 10 rounds in a second, then its frequency is 10 hertz).

On the other hand, when one sleeps, his/her brain wave frequency drops from *alpha* to *theta* in the pre-sleep stage and eventually to *delta* in the deep sleep phase. This latter is the slowest frequency of the spectrum (ranging in 1 to 4 hertz according to [refer here for more](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/delta-wave)).

Hence I would say that active learning as could performed during wake can not be accomplished during sleep inasmuch there is not the proper brain waves setting to, almost for what concerns explicit learning.

I hope it helps and hope I got the point correctly. Wish you best luck with your study!

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: It's not really correct to say that the "brain wave frequency drops": waves of different frequencies come from different sources, delta waves aren't just "alpha waves slowed down", they originate from different patterns of activity. Additionally, power falls off with frequency as 1/f or 1/f^2 (or some other exponent), so there is pretty much always more delta than alpha for example: it's just that in sleep delta goes up and alpha goes down relative to wake. Lastly, none of these things actually say anything about the question except to say "the brain is in a different state during sleep"  
> **username_2**: Thank you for your remarks, Bryan! I will dig into the subject some deeper. However, indeed the fact that the brain is in different states in terms of waves frequencies during sleep points out that some cognitive processes, such as explicit learning, may not take place whatsoever in sleep stage, is it that phrased correctly like this?  
> **username_3**: Yes I would just be careful to not make it sound like the inability to learn explicitly is *caused* by the change in spectrum.  

---

