There is no question that the human brain functions best when well rested,but new research finds we can strengthen our memories during sleep.
充足的睡眠無疑有助于人類大腦得到最佳發揮，然而最新研究結果發現，我們在睡眠過程當中也能增強記憶力。

Scientists at Northwestern University gave volunteers a memory test that involved placing 50 pictures into their correct places on a computer screen.Each picture had a specific sound attached;meow for a cat,a whistlle for a tea kettle,and so forth.After initially learning the task,the volunteers took a nap.For half the group,researchers played the sounds of some of the images used in the memory test.
美國西北大學的科學家在志愿者當中進行了一項記憶測試。志愿者要把五十幅圖片放到計算機屏幕的正確位置上。每幅圖片都有相對應的聲音，“喵喵”對應貓，尖銳的哨聲對應茶壺，諸如此類。初步掌握了測試要求后，志愿者們就開始小憩了。研究人員為其中一半的志愿者播放記憶測試中部分圖片所對應的聲音。

When they awoke,the participants who heard the sounds while sleeping improved their memory for those items.A control group that did not sleep showed no improvement.The volunteers had no recollection of the sounds they heard in their sleep,suggesting that the memory benefits were entirely unconscious.
當他們醒過來以后，睡眠過程中聽過音樂的參與者對那些圖片的記憶有所增強，而沒有睡覺的人記憶則沒有改善。志愿者們根本不知道他們在睡覺過程中聽過聲音，這表明對記憶的改善完全是潛意識的。

Experts say picking up new skills in your sleep may not be possible,but subliminal learing is posible to enhance information that is already there.
專家稱，在睡夢過程中掌握一門新技能是不大可能的，但潛意識學習則有可能會鞏固已學到的知識。