SLEEP HABITS AND BIOGRAPHICAL LEARNING. A REVIEW OF PREVIOUS RESEARCH ON THEIR CONNECTIONS

This article examines adult learning and sleep habits. It is commonly assumed that learning occurs during the daytime. However, how does a good night’s sleep or shortage of sleep contribute to our learning? Do we learn during sleep? This paper seeks to critically examine previous research into two myths concerning adults: adults cannot learn when they get older, and the second older adults need less sleep. But what can research say about this? What do we know about sleep in the first place? What do we know about adult learning and especially biographical learning? How do sleep patterns/habits influence adult learning? The author discusses these questions below as well as the consequences of a good quality and quantity of sleep for adults’ memory and biographical learning. The author also seeks to identify some guidelines and advice from previous research into better sleep to enhance learning in older age.