Skip to content

Content starts here

CLOSE ×

Red Membership Card

AARP Membership — $15 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal

Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.

Brain Teaser

Challenge Your Cognitive Know-How!

By

Staying Sharp

Published April 15, 2026

Why does missing sleep often make it harder to learn something new the next day?

The brain prioritizes older memories

The brain has less energy to process sound

The brain is less able to form new memory connections

The senses temporarily shut down

Without enough sleep, the brain is less able to absorb and store new information. Learning may still happen, but it’s less efficient and the new info is easier to forget. Learn how to get restorative sleep here with our challenge Make Sleep Your Superpower.

0 Correct

0 Incorrect

Oops...something went wrong. Please log out and log back in to continue.

More From Staying Sharp

Napping Tips for a Refreshing Rest

When done correctly, a midday snooze can be the ultimate refresh

Sleeping With Pets: Tips for Restful Nights

Cuddle with your furry friend during daytime hours

MEMBERS ONLY

Try a Breathing Exercise to Ease Into Sleep

Try this simple yoga exercise to calm your mind and body before sleep

MEMBERS ONLY

Benefits Recommended For You

Legal Disclaimer: Staying Sharp, including all content and features, is offered for informational purposes and to educate users on brain health care and medical issues that may affect their daily lives. Staying Sharp is based on a holistic, lifestyle approach to brain health that encourages users to incorporate into their daily lives activities that are associated with general wellness. Nothing in the service should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Features including the Cognitive Assessment and Lifestyle Check-Ins, Additional Tests, exercises, and challenges assess performance at a particular moment in time on certain discrete cognitive tasks. Staying Sharp games are intended for entertainment and recreational purposes only. Various factors may affect performance, including sleep, tiredness, focus, and other social, environmental, or emotional factors. Performance is not indicative of cognitive health and not predictive of future performance or medical conditions.

Unused AARP Rewards points expire 12 months after they are earned, in monthly batches on a rolling basis.