A combined team of researchers from the University of Cambridge and Ecole Normale Supérieure, a research institution in Paris, have found that even during sleep, our brain can still classify words.
According to the researchers, when people practice simple word classification tasks before nodding off—knowing that a “cat” is an animal or that “flipu” isn’t found in the dictionary, their brains still continue to make those classifications even in the unconscious state of mind.
“We show that the sleeping brain can be far more ‘active’ in sleep than one would think,” said Sid Kouider of Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris.
“Far from falling [into] a limbo when we fall asleep, parts of our brain can routinely process what is going on in our surroundings and apply a relevant scheme of response. This explains some everyday life experiences such as our sensitivity to our name in our sleep, or to the specific sound of our alarm clock, compared to equally loud but less relevant sounds.”
ALSO SEE: Why Some People Remember Their Dreams While Others Forget
The unconscious brain processes the speech and other complex tasks not only without being aware of what is perceived, but also without being aware at all. The researchers doubt that such subliminal processing of complex task can only be performed only if the task is automated.
Using an electroencephalogram (EEG), the researchers recorded the brain activity of the participants while they are asked to classify spoken words as either animals or objects by pressing a button, using the right hand for animals and the left hand for objects. This procedure allowed researchers to compute their response by mapping each word category to a specific plan for movement in the brain; and once this becomes automatic, the researchers placed participants in a darkened room with their eyes closed and continued the word classification task as they nodded off.
When the researchers continued the test – during the period of slumber – with an entirely new list of words to make sure the brain can extract the meaning of the words rather than a simpler pairing between stimulus and response, the participants continued to respond accurately, but rather more slowly. At that time, the participants were completely motionless and unaware.
Kouider said one could imagine people performing calculations on simple equations while falling asleep and then continuing to identify those calculations as correct or not during a snooze.
According to Kouider, any tasks that could become automated might be maintained during sleep and the ones that cannot be automated would not be maintained as sleep will take them over.
ALSO SEE: The Less You Sleep, The Faster Your Brain Ages
The researchers are now investigating the consequences of their findings, the activeness of brain, as we slumber.
“It will be worth thinking carefully about why animals, from fruit flies to humans, all show sleep or sleep-like states in the first place,” Kouider said.
“Research focusing on how to take advantage of our sleeping time must consider what is the associated cost, if any, and whether it is worth it.”
Further research on this will help us come upon more about the processing capacity of brain during sleep.
- Reference: Inducing Task-Relevant Responses to Speech in the Sleeping Brain
- Source: Cell Press
- Image: Echoisthename
In my experience, the state of mind we go to sleep in and the state of mind we we wake up in are connected.
Also, considering our exposure to computer screens, has anyone explored how screens feature in dreams? For example, I can call up an empty screen page and request answers to questions, either in images or in words.
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Brain is active while sleeping. Interesting finding! A great topic to share!
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Wow , how interesting have to come back to see your article more..nice work
thank you for your likes..so nice of you
Sherri
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Well we dream and people ‘sleep study’, some people lucid dream in certain states and others are able to meditate in a way that they aren’t asleep but not fully awake and not moving. If the body needs to focus on digestion and all the related processes we practically fall asleep so the brain is a busy beaver 🙂
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It is said that people dream what they think before nodding off. 🙂
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I just wrote about sleeping, did not get this many details but did share some lullabies… smiles!
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Glad you liked it. Thanks! 🙂
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Interesting read. Thanks for liking my post. I’m now following you on twitter. Perhaps you would like to reciprocate. Kind regards!
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Will do. Thank you! 🙂
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Nice, also why some people use sleep time to run practice tests and knowledge through their mind!
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Thanks. In conscious state, brain is smart enough to conceal its unexplored abilities. 😛
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Thanks for stopping by Artsyberger: as an Asperger I’m interested in brain science. This article doesn’t say what which “sleep” state they are referring to. There are several stages of ‘unconsciousness’ with important differences.
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They are referring to a complete unconscious state.
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Interesting. Always knew that a lot is going in the brain during sleep. But still amazed by the brain’s ability to discern words during such mode. Got to say that the scientists are geniuses to come out with a way to test this.
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That’s right! 🙂
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It’s so interesting how complex the simple actions we take for granted are. Thanks for posting this!
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Shame on us, we don’t even use 3% of the brain. 😛
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Cool read, interesting!
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Thank you! 🙂
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Interesting article! The wonder brain! I love sleeping Z Z Z Z z z z z
❤ carmen
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Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
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Nice to see a scientific study mapping this…. But it all seems quite obvious. We don’t dream in absolute nonsense or nothingness, although sometimes biazzare. Even if abstract, non-linear, or confusing our minds are working in logical patterns. This seems common knowledge to me. Is it not?
PS, thanks for the recent like. Although that particular sub-blog isn’t at all like yours.
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It is. They are phantasmagorical though, sometimes. Thanks for the comment. 🙂
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very cool x x x
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Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
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Just dropping in to thank you for reading my Autumn story and leaving a like, much appreciated
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🙂
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Like!
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Thanks! 🙂
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often ideas for writing even whole lines come to me during sleep
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Even Einstein achieved E=MC2 in one of his dreams. 🙂
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sleep is necessary to process out irrelevant entries. the insanity when you don’t sleep is proof enough. 🙂
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That’s absolutely right! 🙂
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Very interesting and revealing facets…
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Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
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Your blog is simply great!!!! I have been reading through and love the variety and topics! I haven’t seen a “like” button…but “like” I do. So glad you stopped by me enabling me to find you 🙂
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Thank you as well! 🙂
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Intriguing…thanks for sharing!
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You’re welcome and thanks for stopping by! 🙂
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And I’ve also read about experiments that show you learn and remember better if you read/learn something just before going to sleep. I’ve put that to the test in learning Ancient Greek verb patterns and it does work!
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Yeah, I read about that too. Thanks for the comment. 🙂
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An interesting post.
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Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
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Fascinating topic! I look forward to more interesting posts from you!
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Thanks, ma’am. 🙂
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that was interesting.. been a psychology student myself… and such studies r extremely exciting to read…
thanks for visit to my blog
-http://noodles4thoughts.wordpress.com/
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Thank you as well. 🙂
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Isn’t the brain fascinating? I miss the Like button
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Yeah, it is. Well, readers couldn’t get to like any of my posts from the WordPress readers page, so I just thought I should remove the button. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
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Its interesting. I had experienced “sleeping brain” a few times. Once i got stuck with an idea while writing an article (scientific), I spent hours in daytime to figure it out.ITdid not work but then i got up at night from deep sleep just to note down that idea. It was so clear and exactly as i wanted it to be. 🙂
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Incredible. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
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And before you know where we are, we’ll all be having to work while we’re asleep. Nooo! I couldn’t find your like buttons. Don’t you have any?
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Readers couldn’t get to like any of my posts from the WordPress readers page, so I just thought I should remove the button. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
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So much to learn about our brain. Thank you for the post!
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Welcome. 🙂
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This was interesting, Thank you, love, nia
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Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
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