Tuesday Sleep on It

Tuesday Sleep on It

There is an interesting phenomenon I have noticed about the way we humans process information – particularly things involving muscle memory.  When learning a new skill, or honing an old one, often the first day of practice involves little, if any, visible progress - and usually a lot of stumbling.  This is, to say the least, disheartening.

But after a good night’s sleep, the mental and physical pieces seem to have been assembled (by elves?) correctly and the new skill is now easier!  Magic!

Actually, there are scientific studies that show this to be true.  To quote from today’s link:  “…sleep itself has a role in the consolidation of memory, which is essential for learning new information.”  Aha!  It isn't magic after all – or elves.  It is simply the way it works.

So the next time you feel discouraged about your progress, get a good night’s sleep.  You might be surprised by the things that fall into place the next day!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #36:  

“Sleep on it.”

                Link of the Day:

http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/benefits-of-sleep/learning-memory

Quote of the Day:

““People say, 'I'm going to sleep now,' as if it were nothing. But it's really a bizarre activity. 'For the next several hours, while the sun is gone, I'm going to become unconscious, temporarily losing command over everything I know and understand. When the sun returns, I will resume my life.'

If you didn't know what sleep was, and you had only seen it in a science fiction movie, you would think it was weird and tell all your friends about the movie you'd seen.

They had these people, you know? And they would walk around all day and be OK? And then, once a day, usually after dark, they would lie down on these special platforms and become unconscious. They would stop functioning almost completely, except deep in their minds they would have adventures and experiences that were completely impossible in real life. As they lay there, completely vulnerable to their enemies, their only movements were to occasionally shift from one position to another; or, if one of the 'mind adventures' got too real, they would sit up and scream and be glad they weren't unconscious anymore. Then they would drink a lot of coffee.'

So, next time you see someone sleeping, make believe you're in a science fiction movie. And whisper, 'The creature is regenerating itself.”
― George Carlin, Brain Droppings

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