Sleep plays a crucial role in memory consolidation and the ability to generalize knowledge. Research suggests that sleep enhances associative memory, facilitates integration of new information into existing schemas, and aids in the abstraction of general rules. Both REM sleep and slow-wave sleep (SWS) contribute to these processes through distinct neural mechanisms, including hippocampal reactivation and neocortical restructuring. However, discrepancies exist regarding the extent of sleep’s effect on generalization, with some studies indicating that wakefulness might play an equally important role. While sleep appears to decontextualize memories, allowing for broader application, its benefits are not uniform across different types of learning tasks. Continue reading Sleep’s effects on memory and generalization