Using Sleep to Understand how we learn | Dr Rebecca Spencer

What actually happens in your brain while you sleep and how does it change what you remember?

On this episode of Degrees of Health, Ben sits down with sleep researcher Dr Rebecca Spencer to explore how sleep shapes learning, memory and our everyday performance.

Rebecca explains how the brain processes and organises information overnight, why the sleep stages matter, and why pulling an all-nighter might be working against the very thing you’re trying to learn.

We also get into the fascinating role of naps, from why they’re so important for children to how adults might use them to support memory, plus the connection between sleep, circadian rhythms and athletic performance. And, as Rebecca makes clear, despite how much we all sleep, there’s still a huge amount we don’t understand.

In this episode, we cover

* How sleep helps preserve and organise memories

* What the brain is doing while we sleep

* Why reviewing information before bed may give it a boost

* Why naps matter, and how timing and duration can make a difference

* How sleep supports learning in children and adults

* The relationship between sleep, circadian rhythms and performance

* What sleep science still needs to figure out. If you’re interested in learning more effectively, improving your routines, or simply understanding what your brain is up to at night, this one’s for you.