Besides memory encoding, what is another cognitive benefit of sleep mentioned?

• A. Pruning connections to make the mind more efficient
• B. Increasing short-term memory only
• C. Making you forget information
• D. Having no effect on learning

Answer: (A)

Sleep supports more than just encoding by helping the brain prune unnecessary connections, effectively downscaling weaker synapses to tighten and optimize neural networks. This pruning makes information processing more efficient, saves energy, and prepares the brain for new learning when you wake. That’s why pruning connections to make the mind more efficient is the best match for another cognitive benefit of sleep. The idea that it only boosts short-term memory, or that it makes you forget information, or that it has no effect on learning, doesn’t fit what sleep does for brain function.