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 Discover how to help your memory.

7/27/2015

8 Comments

 
 Say you met some interesting people recently. A few days later, you can’t recall any of their names. Or recently you walked around in a daze trying to remember where you put your glasses and keys. And then your long-term friend asks you a question about an event you both shared, but you've forgotten every detail. Don't worry, this happens whether you're young or old.  

Are you losing your mind?

PictureMorgueFile - 5demayo
The latest research from psychologists at UK's University of Exeter, shows that if you are trying to remember something critical, get a good night's sleep.

Although it is well known that sleep boosts memory, scientists have shown sleep improves your chances to retrieve vital facts hiding in a corner of our brain.


They used subjects in two situations. The people taking part had forgotten information during 12 hours of being awake. However, after a night's sleep they were twice as likely to be able to remember the details.

The lead psychologist stressed that sleep almost doubles your chances of remembering previously unrecalled material. The post-sleep boost in memory may indicate that some memories are sharpened overnight. This supports the notion that, while asleep, we actively rehearse information flagged as important.

The doctor believes the boost comes from the hippocampus, an inner structure of the temporal lobe, which unzipps recent episodes and replays them to regions of the brain originally involved so you play out major events of the day. Source: The Telegraph.

 At the moment, I'm recalling details of my life to write my memoirs, going back seventy years. Old letters written to my mother help me recall circumstances, and I wrote 'events by date' about fifteen years ago, which also help in my recollections. But some details escape me. I ask myself, “What on earth did I do for the next two years?”

As we get older memory along with all our functions begin to decline. We have to work harder at maintaining our retentiveness if it’s important to us.

The good news is that we don't have to sit back and let it happen without a fight. But anything worthwhile takes work.

Use it or lose it.

PictureMorgueFile - greyerbaby
A number of ways will push or encourage your memory to improve and excel. The amazing human mind performs beyond expectations when given everything necessary to operate.

Our mind needs water, nutrition, rest and exercise, fresh air and nutrition; the mind must be active and always learning; the mind must be challenged. Our minds are capable of much more than the daily and routine tasks we ask of it—the things we need to do for survival or livelihood. But the mind also needs an active life. Get outside and do more. Source HubPages.

Okay, there are many people like me who can't get out and socialize. What's left for us? We're advised to tell our family about our past, to link a part of our life to what they are doing. An example would be to relate their smartphone to us running to the telephone box to make an important call. But, those of us with no family around have to resort to other ways to maintain our memories.

We are all special, unique.

 Even if you're twenty years old, a lot of interesting things have happened in your life. It's never too soon to start writing down your experiences. Rather like the diaries of old. Remember The Diary of Ann Frank? At thirteen years old, she wrote about how her family and friends hid from the enemy during the occupation of the Nazis in the Netherlands, and how they survived living together in close quarters.

If you're older, I recommend writing the story of your life. Make a start and more information emerges out of the corner of your mind where it's been stashed away. Often I wake recalling a detail I'd forgotten.

Do you remember everything that ever happened to you? Or do you open a cupboard and forget what you were looking for?

8 Comments
Mahathi Ramya link
7/26/2015 08:15:22 pm

learnt new info today, so sleep boosts memory. i forget anniversaries, birthdays of friends and many important milestones mostly, rely more on calendar reminders on my gmail and phone. But, memories come flooded after flipping old photo albums.

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Roy A. Ackerman, PhD, EA @Cerebrations.biz link
7/26/2015 09:30:37 pm

So, other than the first 'fact', I am in total agreement. It seems that Dumay's article is not yet in print for complete evaluation, but the Telegraph implies it is a rework of other studies. And, his conclusions are in total conflict with other research in this area- because the data indicates that sleep reinforces memory that has already occurred- not to make new ones. (I will revisit when his publication is available.)

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Nick #thisyearinmusic link
7/26/2015 10:22:25 pm

I know its an old wives tale, but rest and plenty of water cures most ills. Sadly I've never been the best sleeper, but I do have a good memory. Maybe I should sign up for tests.

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Alana link
7/26/2015 11:23:59 pm

I am having problems with memory, andI suspect it is a combination of poor sleep, stress, and inadequate water intake. I have already written down portions of my life - it is an interesting process.

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K.Lee Banks link
7/27/2015 04:34:18 am

Sadly, I can really relate to this problem of forgetfulness. I have to write things down so I don't forget them. I also know I often don't get enough sleep.

I do have an additional problem connected to forgetting, which I can't remedy, and that's a severe head injury from back in 1985.

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Shonda link
7/27/2015 06:58:35 am

For a couple years after I had my last child, I experienced frequent bouts with memory loss. It scared me quite a bit. He just turned 6 and things have turned around, but you do have to take better and more aggressive care of yourself as you age.

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Sunita Rajwade link
7/31/2015 02:18:52 am

well, sometimes I go crazy just trying to remember where my spectacles are only to find them round my neck all the while or worse still tucked up in my hair! And sometimes I find I can't remember where I've kept those aide de memoirs .......

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Ajay Pai link
8/1/2015 01:39:02 pm

True that Francene! We all are unique. I have a tendency of forgetting things due to stress, but, i remember almost immediately, when i am calm.
I would love to write about those little incidents that happen in my life. I have already started to mention scuh incidents in the poems / prose which i write.

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    Francene Stanley
    From England, I use news items in my novels which you can see below, all linked to an Amazon near you.

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