Cued memory reactivation during sleep influences skill learning

Here the authors find that auditory cues presented quietly during a nap influence motor sequence learning. When one of two sequences was cued following initial learning, performance was disproportionately improved for that sequence, reflecting sleep-based reactivation and consolidation of skill memory. Information acquired during waking can be reactivated during sleep, promoting memory stabilization. After people learned to produce two melodies in time with moving visual symbols, we enhanced relative performance by presenting one melody during an afternoon nap. Electrophysiological signs of memory processing during sleep corroborated the notion that appropriate auditory stimulation that does not disrupt sleep can nevertheless bias memory consolidation in relevant brain circuitry.