Neuroscience: Playing recorded prompts as you enjoy good quality sleep improves your memory

People are better at recalling new names and faces if they are played recorded prompts for them while they enjoy good quality sleep, a study has found. Northwestern University experts explored how quality of slumber affects'targeted reactivation' -- a process used to enhance memory consolidation during sleep. In tests involving subjects trying to learn 80 new peoples' names, recorded prompts played during deep sleep improved subsequent recall by 1.5 names on average. However, the benefits of this memory reactivation process were only seen when the subjects had good quality, undisturbed sleep, the researchers noted. It is possible reactivation may even be detrimental to recall if used with interrupted sleep, the team added -- potentially offering a way to weaken unwanted memories.