Korede Abdullah in Lagos
A new study published in Nature Communications, has revealed that sleep doesn’t just help us consolidate past memories — it also prepares the brain to handle future ones. Traditionally, sleep has been seen as a backward-looking process, helping preserve memories of past experiences.
But researchers in Japan have now shown that the brain also gears up for new events during sleep. “Sleep is not just about rest – it plays a crucial role in how the brain processes information,” says a professor of biochemistry at the University of Toyama, Kaoru Inokuchi.
Using a high-resolution imaging system on freely moving mice, the team tracked brain activity before, during, and after learning events. They identified specialized neurons known as “engram-to-be cells” that weren’t yet linked to specific memories but became more synchronized after sleep.
These cells later helped encode entirely new experiences. “Engram-to-be cells exhibited increased coactivity with existing engram cells during sleep, suggesting that this interaction helps shape new memory networks,” Inokuchi explains.
To better understand the process, the researchers built a neural network model simulating the hippocampus. This model highlighted the role of synaptic depression and scaling — changes in neuron connection strength — in organizing memory-ready cells during sleep.
When these mechanisms were disrupted, the model showed impaired memory organization, underscoring how vital sleep is for both storing and preparing for memories.
The findings could have major implications for learning and memory-related disorders. “We believe that manipulating brain activity during sleep or sleep patterns may uncover methods to enhance memory by unlocking the brain’s latent potential,” says Inokuchi.
Ultimately, the study reinforces a growing scientific consensus: quality sleep is essential not just for recalling the past, but for preparing to learn in the future.
