Sleep and memory.

The possible effects that sleep may have on long-term memory are first considered using the restorative hypothesis of sleep. This hypothesis proposes that protein synthesis is facilitated by sleep. The confounding role of circadian rhythms in previous sleep and memory experiments is also considered. Two experiments are reported. The first experiment investigated the effect of sleep on memory, in part using a sleep-deprivation technique. The second experiment controlled both for the interference effects and for possible non-specific effects of sleep deprivation. Results supported the restorative hypothesis and suggested that sleep was affecting memory by modulating trace consolidation.