Sleep is pervasive throughout most of the animal kingdom—even jellyfish and honeybees
do it. Although the precise function of sleep remains elusive, research increasingly suggests
that sleep plays a key role in memory consolidation. Newly formed memories are highly
labile and susceptible to interference, and the sleep period offers an optimal window in
which memories can be strengthened or modified. Interestingly, a small but growing
research area has begun to explore the ability of odors to modulate memories during sleep …