Slow wave and REM sleep deprivation effects on explicit and implicit memory during sleep.

Objective: It has been debated whether different stages in the human sleep cycle preferentially mediate the consolidation of explicit and implicit memories, or whether all of the stages in succession are necessary for optimal consolidation. Here we investigated whether the selective deprivation of slow wave sleep (SWS) or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep over an entire night would have a specific effect on consolidation in explicit and implicit memory tasks.

Method: Participants completed a set of explicit and implicit memory tasks at night, prior to sleep.