You may have noticed you have trouble remembering things or concentrating at work after a restless night—you’re not imagining it. Research shows that sleep is crucial for storing memories, though scientists don’t fully understand how yet. Even more, it appears that different phases of sleep contribute to different types of memory.

Take, for example, episodic memory, which is memory of specific events and times. It seems that NREM sleep is when you integrate new memories into past memories, while the REM stage helps you retain all of those memories. Semantic memory (facts, basically) are stored during N2 and REM sleep—so a nap or good night’s sleep really can help you learn—while new motor skills are consolidated during REM.

If you’re tossing and turning throughout the night, it’s likely you won’t make it through a complete sleep cycle, or if you do, it’s probably not going to be good quality sleep. Practicing healthy sleep habits can help you get enough of these memory-boosting stages of sleep.

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