The Effect of Sleep on Multiple Memory Systems

Abstract

Sleep is important for determining how new traces in multiple memory systems develop. Sleep helps the consolidation of both explicit declarative as well as implicit procedural memory. Apart from strengthening memory traces in distinct systems separately, sleep also favors interactions between memory systems. Sleep facilitates the dialogue between fast and slow learning systems and shifts memory representations from highly plastic to more stable networks. Sleep might also change whether memory systems compete or cooperate. In the present review, we provide evidence that memory systems interactions do not terminate after encoding but continue beyond task acquisition into off-line consolidation periods. Keywords