Psychological research has proven that when people memorize materials, if they study one material and then start a new one, the latter can interfere with the memory of the former. If after studying one material, no other material is studied but instead rest is taken, the retention rate of the studied material will be extremely high. The best form of rest is sleep; thus, psychologists have proposed that sleep can help maintain memory. Since sleep can preserve memory, we should make full use of sleep for learning. Of course, this does not mean that after studying one material, one should immediately go to sleep. If so, how many times would we need to sleep in a day? And how could we fall asleep?
Further research by psychologists has revealed that when a person is in a semi-sleep state, also known as drowsiness, certain points in the brain still remain open and can accept information transmitted by auditory organs. If at this time someone continuously repeats words or plays a recording (this is called "suggestion") to a person in drowsiness, then that person can unconsciously memorize the content of the speech or recording. This is a learning method based on the principle of heightened suggestibility. Since the brain in a drowsy state is not disturbed by the outside world, it becomes highly sensitive to suggestions and is most suitable for memorizing content that requires rote memorization, such as foreign language vocabulary.
It has been reported that contents such as foreign language vocabulary, classical literature, idioms, historical dates and events, geographical knowledge, musical scores, scripts, musical intervals, symbols, formulas, speeches, etc., can all be memorized using this method. The most widely used and effective application of this learning method is in foreign language study, where it allows people to effortlessly, extensively, and quickly effectively memorize large amounts of foreign language vocabulary.
Since sleep learning has such miraculous effects, how do we conduct sleep learning? We can achieve sleep learning using a recorder. Using a pocket recorder (such as a Walkman), record the content we want to memorize, for example, foreign language vocabulary on a tape. Before sleeping, after finishing your evening routine, lie down comfortably in bed, close your eyes, put on headphones, and listen to the recording. The volume should not be too loud; adjusting it to a whispering level is best. When listening to the recording, you don't need to pay close attention. In a semi-sleep state, unconsciously receive the suggestion from the recording. The suggestion from the recording will trigger memory, allowing you to unknowingly tap into your memory potential and remember large amounts of material.
The key to whether sleep learning can succeed lies in relaxing the brain and body and entering a slow activity state. Therefore, when listening to recordings before sleeping, you must first adjust your mind and body, making yourself calm and relaxed, and enter the optimal psychological state. How to maintain calmness and relaxation? Please refer to the following suggestions:
1. You can first listen to some light music. Soft, gentle, tranquil, and elegant light music helps to soothe emotions, regulate the mind and body, slow breathing and heartbeats, achieving a peaceful and relaxed state.
2. Practice breathing relaxation. If you are tired after a long day and your mind is chaotic, unable to calm down, you can try breathing relaxation. Lie down calmly, close your eyes, breathe in slowly, and then breathe out slowly. While breathing, count your breaths, meaning silently counting the number of breaths, both when inhaling and exhaling. The purpose of counting breaths is to eliminate distractions, relieve tension and fatigue, helping you quickly calm down and reach a relaxed state.
3. Develop the good habit of going to bed and waking up at fixed times. Good sleep habits ensure sleep quality, and high-quality sleep guarantees effective sleep learning. Usually, we should fall asleep around 11 pm. After midnight, the brain enters a state of high excitement, and even if you want to sleep, it's hard to suppress the excitement and fall asleep. Therefore, while listening to recordings before sleeping, let your brain relax and gradually transition into a semi-sleep state until you fall into deep sleep. It's normal that you might fall asleep while listening, as sleep learning helps with memory and aids sleep, achieving two goals at once.
4. When listening to recordings, every day you should first review the content learned the previous day, such as yesterday’s vocabulary. Repeated memory helps consolidate what you've learned. You can quickly repeat the content without spending much time, and then listen to new content. Such repetition creates a cycle, gradually improving learning interest and effectively checking learning results.
5. Persist consistently. Although sleep learning allows you to learn easily and unconsciously, the effectiveness of this learning method depends on persistence. Initially, you may not be accustomed to it. Perhaps, you doubt whether this learning method is effective. However, after persisting for a period of time, you will happily discover that this is indeed an effective and magical learning method.
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