Nighttime sleep benefits the prospective component of prospective memory

Abstract

Studies suggest that sleep benefits event-based prospective memory, which involves carrying out intentions when particular events occur. Prospective memory has a prospective component (remembering that one has an intention), and a retrospective component (remembering when to carry it out). As effects of sleep on retrospective memory are well established, the effect of sleep on prospective memory may thus be due exclusively to an effect of sleep on its retrospective component. Therefore, the authors investigated whether nighttime sleep improves the prospective component of prospective memory, or a retrospective component, or both. In a first session, participants performed an event-based prospective-memory task (that was embedded in an ongoing task) 3 minutes after forming an intention and, in a second session, 12 hours after forming an intention. The sessions were separated by either nighttime sleep or daytime wakefulness. The authors disentangled prospective-memory performance into its retrospective and prospective components via multinomial processing tree modeling. There was no effect of sleep on the retrospective component, which may have been due to a time-of-day effect. The prospective component, which is the component unique to prospective memory, declined less strongly after a retention interval filled with sleep as compared with a retention interval filled with wakefulness. A hybrid interaction suggested that refreshed attention after sleep may account for this effect, but did not support the consolidation of the association between the intention and its appropriate context as a mechanism driving the effect.

Activity-Based Prospective Memory in Insomniacs

“…Using the sleep deprivation paradigm, several studies have shed light on the detrimental effect of sleep loss on the ability to perform an intended action at the appropriate times [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. Sleep deprivation significantly affects ProM through the involvement of specific brain areas, in particular the prefrontal cortex [ 25 ], strongly involved in executive and control processes.…”

Prospective Memory and Sleep Quality

“…Studies have shown that people who sleep better usually also perform better in prospective memory, suggesting a potential link between prospective memory and sleep. [2] So prospective memory is a factor that has been found to impact sleep quality significantly. With this possible link, studying the relationship between prospective memory and sleep quality could help us provide insights and comments on improving daytime performance and sleep patterns and promoting health.…”