Can you become an overnight expert? Here are the five surprising skills you can learn in your SLEEP

  • Several studies have shown that sleep can improve a number of skills
  • People learned more Dutch phrases when they heard them in their sleep
  • Other skills include learning a new instrument and quitting smoking 

By Shivali Best For Mailonline

Published: 04:11 EST, 2 December 2016 | Updated: 05:00 EST, 2 December 2016

For many people, sneaking in a few hours of shut eye is an indulgence best saved for the weekend.

But rather than feeling guilty about lying in, research suggests that sleep may be the perfect time for learning.

From grasping a new language to quitting smoking, studies have shown that a range of skills can be improved from the comfort of your bed.

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Rather than feeling guilty about lying in, research suggests that sleep may be the perfect time for learning. From grasping a new language to quitting smoking, a range of skills can be improved from the comfort of your bed (stock image)

Rather than feeling guilty about lying in, research suggests that sleep may be the perfect time for learning. From grasping a new language to quitting smoking, a range of skills can be improved from the comfort of your bed (stock image)

THE SLEEP CYCLE

There are five main stages of sleep.

Stages 1,2,3, and 4, are categorised as ‘non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep’, and the fifth stage, is REM sleep.

Stage 1 is the lightest stage of sleep. Brain activity is slightly slower than during wake time, and there is muscle tone present in the skeletal muscles. Breathing occurs at a regular rate.

Stage 2 usually follow Stage 1 and represents deeper sleep. During Stage 2 sleep, the sleeper is less able to be awakened.

Stage 3 and Stage 4 sleep are progressively deeper stages of sleep, and a sleeper would be difficult to wake at this point.

Stage 5, or REM sleep, is the stage of sleep associated with dreaming. Brain activity resembles wake time, but skeletal muscles are without movement. The breathing is more erratic and irregular. The heart rate often increases.

LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE

While it might sound implausible, research has shown that it is possible to improve your understanding of a new language while asleep.

A study in 2014, conducted at the universities of Zurich and Fribourg showed that German-speaking students were better at remembering the meaning of newly-learned Dutch words when they heard the words again their sleep.

Björn Rasch, who led the study, said: ‘Our method is easy to use in daily life and can be adopted by anyone.’

In their study, 60 participants were asked to learn pairs of Dutch and German words at 10pm.

Half the volunteers then went to bed, and were played back some of the Dutch words they had learnt, as they slept…. read more here