New Study Suggests Sleeping Shortly After Practicing a Task Enhances Motor Skills: MDs Offer Insights
Plus, doctors’ practical tips for applying the benefits to your own life
We all crave an optimal sleep schedule. We understand how it impacts our physical and mental health, and how energized and refreshed it helps us feel. Now, research suggests there may be an additional benefit: going to bed soon after practicing a skill is shown to sharpen motor skills. That’s right — the perfect time to practice drawing, playing an instrument or working on any other hobby is right before bedtime. Keep reading to find out what the study says and how our experts respond!
New study finds correlation between sleep timing and motor skills
While scientists have long understood that sleep helps us remember facts and events, the relationship between sleep and physical skills has been less evident, the study notes. Published in the Journal of Neuroscience, research suggests that motor memories, which allow our brains to absorb and hold onto skills and actions, can be significantly enhanced when sleep closely follows practice.
Researchers conducted multiple experiments involving 290 participants, all of whom had no history of neurological or psychiatric disorders. The participants, ranging in age from about 20 to 28 years, were recruited from the School of Medicine at the University of Buenos Aires. Before and during the study, they maintained consistent sleep schedules, which were monitored through self-reported logs.
Participants had to move a cursor on a computer screen to hit targets using a joystick, but the cursor’s movement was occasionally rotated, forcing participants to adapt their hand movements to hit the target accurately. This task was designed to let researchers measure how well participants retained the ability to comprehend and recall these changes, which is a measure of motor memory, study authors explain.
Participants were divided into groups — those who practiced the task right before going to sleep each night, and those who didn’t sleep until hours after practicing. Everyone was tested the following day, and scientists found that those who slept shortly after performing the cursor task retained the skill approximately 30 percent better than their counterparts.
The study also noted increased activity in sleep spindles, which are thought to be involved in learning and memory consolidation, specifically in the brain hemisphere opposite the hand used to complete the cursor task. Researchers state that this points to the brain making the connection to that motor skill.
Doctors weigh in on sleep’s impact on motor skills
There is significant evidence behind enhanced motor skill development when a good night’s sleep closely follows practice, doctors concur.
There are a few different reasons for this healthy sleep connection, including neural encoding and consolidation, says Kubanych Takyrbashev, MD, Health & Wellness Advisor at wellness company NAO.
“When you practice a motor skill — like playing the piano, practicing a sport or learning a new dance move — your brain forms and strengthens neural connections related to that skill,” Dr. Takyrbashev explains. “This process involves the encoding of new motor patterns into memory.”
Then, while you sleep, especially during specific stages such as slow-wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, your brain continues to process and refine these motor memories, he adds. This is known as sleep-dependent consolidation.
“I find that SWS is especially important for consolidating motor skills,” says Dr. Takyrbashev. “During this deep sleep phase, our brain replays and refines the motor tasks we practice. This replay helps solidify the neural pathways involved, making our movements more accurate and fluid. REM sleep also plays a crucial role. During REM sleep, our brain integrates and optimizes these new skills, smoothing out movements and enhancing coordination. This stage of sleep often involves dreaming, which can include rehearsing and perfecting the motor skills we’ve been working on.”
How to time your sleep to get the benefits
Establishing a consistent sleep routine is key for improving motor skills through sleep patterns. Aim for a regular schedule to ensure sleep quality by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, including weekends, to help regulate your circadian rhythm, offers Maria A. Vera Silva, MD, neurologist at Miami Neuroscience Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida.
“For example, if you practice a motor skill in the evening, try to go to bed at the same time each night to give your brain ample opportunity to consolidate those skills,” she says.
You’ll want to prioritize sleep following skill practice, Dr. Silva adds. Ideally, you should schedule your most intense sessions just early enough to get in a quality full night’s sleep afterward.
You can also Incorporate naps strategically, she says. If you have to practice motor skills at different times of the day, consider a short nap (20 to 30 minutes) between sessions to help refresh your brain.
Keeping track of your sleep habits and performance can also be helpful, Dr. Silva says. Consider using a sleep tracker or journal to monitor your sleep patterns and how they correlate with your motor skill performance, she suggests, as this can help you adjust your sleep schedule to optimize skill consolidation.
Keep reading for more sleep health tips:
Journaling for Sleep: Jot Down These Things Before Bed for Better Zzzs
6 Science-Backed Ways to Get Deeper Sleep — And They Can Start Working Tonight
What To Do if You Can’t Sleep (Hint: You Shouldn’t Keep Lying in Bed)
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
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