Read By Millionaires

Source: The Society for Neuroscience

Sleep does more than banish dark under-eye circles. It also helps you learn, according to an increasing amount of research in animals and humans. Advances in neuroscience led scientists in recent years to produce a large body of converging evidence that shows that sleep helps secure memories and aids at least some types of learning. The findings indicate that sleep is much more important than commonly believed.

It's 3 a.m. and you're still glued to The Osbournes marathon running on MTV. What's a little less sleep when you can see Ozzy war with the neighbors?

You're not alone. Many Americans skimp on shut-eye. Almost one-third of respondents said they get less than seven hours of sleep per night during the week, according to a recent survey of approximately 1,000 people by the National Sleep Foundation.

A large body of converging research, however, shows that it's time to rethink your priorities. Sleep is more important than many people believe. Specifically, studies find that it helps secure memories and aid learning. These findings are leading to:

A better understanding of how sleep and wakefulness contribute to learning.
Increased respect for sleep and its ability to benefit the brain.