Most people require sleep to face tomorrow with a clear head. But clarity of mind may be just one reason why slumber is needed; a growing body of research suggests that sleep aids learning. It is a view not universally held, but supporting evidence appears to be growing. "We just don't know right now if it will turn out to be true. There is so much data coming out now," says Pierre Maquet, senior research associate, National Fund for Scientific Research, University of Liege, Belgium. "These data are coming from a wide variety of species, techniques, experimental paradigms. There is something behind it." Daniel Margoliash, professor of organismal biology and anatomy, University of Chicago, says, "A substantial percentage of the scientific population ... is still quite skeptical."
Researchers have data supporting the link between sleep and memory from studies with humans, rats, and birds, in which the subjects perform numerous ...
