Neural activity in the claustrum has been associated with a range of vigilance states, yet the activity 15 patterns and efficacy of synaptic communication of identified claustrum neurons have not been thoroughly determined. Here we show that claustrum neurons projecting to the retrosplenial cortex were most active during synchronized cortical states such as non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep and were suppressed during increased cortical desynchronization in arousal, movement, and REM sleep. The efficacy of claustrocortical signaling was also increased during NREM and diminished during movement due in part to increased cholinergic tone. Finally, claustrum activation during NREM sleep enhanced memory consolidation through the phase-resetting of cortical delta waves. Therefore, claustrocortical communication is constrained to function most effectively during cognitive processes associated with synchronized cortical states, such as memory consolidation.