Even though the memory tricks have come to an end, I have got one exciting new trick for you to store your memories carefully. When I have a period with lots of exams I sometimes take a nap, and not because some books are so boring that I almost fall asleep. I do this because I feel like afterwards I can better remember the things I had learned before. I did not know how this worked and if it worked for more people, however recent research by the University of California has shown that people were indeed better able to remember things after they took a nap.

For this experiment 44 volunteers were invited to the laboratory at 12:00 pm. They had to remember 100 names and faces for the test they had to make at 18:00 pm. Half of the group was allowed to sleep between 14:00 pm and 15:40 pm, while the other group remained awake. The people who slept after they learned the names and faces performed better than the ones who stayed awake. The difference between the two groups was even about twenty percent. 

The scientists suspect that during a nap the information in the hippocampus, the part in the brain where memories are made, moves to the long term memory. Since the hippocampus is emptied, a person is ready to store new memories.

Although I do not recommed you to go to sleep during a lecture, do not hesitate to take a nap while you are studying for an important test. There is a big chance you will do better on your test. Sleep well!