Wake Up Smarter

No, you are not dreaming. You really can boost your brainpower while you snooze. Try these seven tips.

- Jessica Migala And Elisa Roland

 CHANGE THE COLOR OF YOUR NOISE

White noise (such as the hiss of a radio tuned to an unused frequency) can help you sleep more soundly, but what scientists call pink noise could help you remember more. According to a small study from Northwestern University, the lower-frequency sounds of pink noise, such as the rush of a waterfall or steady rain, improved older adults’ deep, slow-wave sleep, the stage considered important for consolidating memories. When study participants listened to pink noise while they slept and then took a memory test the next morning, they scored three times higher than participants who didn’t sleep with that kind of background sound. Don’t live near a waterfall? Download an app such as the aptly named Pink Noise.

DRIFT OFF WITH A WHIFF

You already know that the smell of an apple pie coming out of the oven can send your memory straight back to Mom’s kitchen. It turns out that smells, experienced at the right time, can also strengthen your recall. In one study, people played a memory game while a rose scent wafted through the room.