Sleep organizes memories from your day. Get a good night’s sleep before a day of learning and after learning something new.

The brain also consolidates motor learning during sleep, improving “muscle memory.” So if you’re learning to play an instrument, you’ll benefit from the muscle memory in your fingers as well as the memorization needed for the music.

Motivation and mood are other important components of the learning process. If you are sleep-deprived, you’re less motivated to learn and your mood suppressed, making it hard to acquire and remember new information.

Looking to up your creative game? Sleep can help there, too. Your brain finds links between seemingly unrelated concepts, helping you solve complex problems and develop new, creative ideas.