Sometimes, the hustle and bustle of everyday life leaves us with little energy to take the time to learn English. There's a feeling of wanting to learn without any effort.
Because we can't always dedicate all the time we'd like to enrolling in an English language school, learning to read books in English, or any other conventional learning experience, which is why learning English while you sleep sounds so good.
What's myth and what's truth?
Some sleep studies reveal that you can learn English while sleeping. There have even been historic cases of discoveries made during sleep.
Such as what happened to Dmitri Mendeleev, the creator of the periodic table, who was inspired while taking a nap.
However, we must not forget that miracles will not happen in our deep sleep if we don't make any effort to learn English while awake.
Learning English with Papora is like learning while sleeping.
It's never been so practical and effective; learning with Papora is as easy as sleeping.
Find out how
How can we improve our English while sleeping?
What we do while we sleep remains a mystery, even to the world's leading neurologists, but in recent decades, science, after extensive research, has made some progress on the subject:
During World War II, two researchers from the University of Chicago, Aserinsky and Kleitman, discovered the existence of a phase of sleep known as REM.
REM stands for “Rapid Eye Movement.”
During this sleep phase, the brain is almost as active as when we’re awake—which is why some experts believe it’s possible to learn English or even other subjects while sleeping.
The idea is simple: by playing English audio at night, your brain can continue processing sounds and patterns, even while you’re fully asleep.
Researchers Katharina Henke, Marc Züst, and Simon Ruch from the University of Bern explored this in their study on dream decoding. They found that, after waking up, the brain can form and strengthen associations made during sleep.
Expert tips for learning with this method
Use your sight and hearing:
The best way for our memory to store something will be to use more than one sense to our advantage.
“It's a very fun way to learn English. To make this technique more effective, I recommend reading the audio as text. This way, you'll ensure that your sight and hearing are working. I also recommend evaluating yourself after listening to the audio so you can track your learning progress.”
That is, if you use songs or content like audiobooks, include time to read the lyrics of the song you heard or a couple of pages of the book.
This will strengthen associations and help you with reading and writing.
Practice using your own voice:
This can be by speaking out loud, repeating the English words you hear, or, in this case, playing an audio file you created can help you listen to it at night.
“Use your phone's voice recording app and record 5 new phrases. Then listen to them for 5 minutes at bedtime.”
While you can use someone else's voice, using your own will help you practice pronunciation and will be easier to assimilate while in REM sleep.
Short practice periods
Don’t rely on this as your only way of learning English. Explore other methods too, and combine them to keep improving your level.
“The key is to find the part of the day when you're most productive and reserve it for skill development. You may have to sacrifice time at other times, but short periods of deliberate practice will quickly pay off.”
Listen to children's stories
Children's books are one of the best resources you can use to learn English and acquire new information and vocabulary.
“Some of my favorite children's stories are the books by William de Richmal Crompton. I listen to them mostly because Martin Jarvis reads them so well, and in fact, I often start listening to them in bed before going to sleep. And then I wake up with a big smile in the middle of the night, the stories still playing. His voice is lively, soothing, and cheerful. And the English in the stories is simple, real, and with lots of dialogue to make it feel authentic.”
Learning English while sleeping is never a substitute for other techniques.
Many people promise the impossible—quick methods to learn English overnight with nothing more than an MP3 playing while you sleep.
It may sound tempting, but real learning always requires dedication and time. That’s why this kind of method should only be used as a complement to more traditional study.
You won’t wake up fluent after one night, but trying it with specific audio could be a helpful extra tool in your learning journey.
The idea is that if the brain remains active during sleep, it can process sounds just like when we’re awake—similar to playing a language CD while driving.
However, this method has its critics. Some question its effectiveness, while others argue that bedtime should be reserved for rest, making it best to avoid such experiments.
How to Supplement Your English Learning While You Sleep
Dreams often weave together elements from our day, especially the most recent ones. So, by practicing simple English activities during the day, you may reinforce that knowledge at night.
Still, to truly improve your level, you’ll need additional practice. Luckily, there are plenty of online options to match your lifestyle—watching series or YouTube videos in English, doing interactive exercises, or enrolling in an English course.
All of these can help, but for most learners, a structured course remains the most effective choice.
English learning courses like Papora, which allows you to learn at your own pace with innovative and fun content, are perfect for you if you're short on time.
What methods work for you to improve your English at home?
Frequently asked questions about learning English while sleeping
When you're in REM sleep, your brain is just as active as if you were awake, so it's able to pay attention to any audio you're listening to. Your brain is also able to associate this with waking up. But that's not the only thing you should do. If you want to use this method to learn English, it's best to complement it with a course like Papora.
