How to Improve Memory: 10 Science-Backed Techniques for Sharper Recall

The best-supported ways to improve memory are testing yourself instead of rereading, spacing your practice over days, sleeping well after you learn, and exercising regularly; memory techniques such as the memory palace add more for lists and names. Memory works in three steps: you take information in, your brain stores and strengthens it, and later you pull it back out. Each technique below helps one of those steps. This guide covers how to improve memory with 10 science-backed techniques, how to improve memory fast before a test or meeting, what research shows for memory supplements, and when memory changes are worth a doctor's visit.

It is educational, not medical advice.

Key Takeaways

• Test yourself: students who practiced recalling a passage remembered substantially more a week later than students who reread it the same number of times (Roediger and Karpicke, 2006).
• Spread it out: a review of 317 experiments found spaced study beats cramming, and the best gap between sessions grows the longer you need to remember (Cepeda et al., 2006).
• Sleep locks it in: during sleep, especially deep slow-wave sleep, the brain actively consolidates new memories (Rasch and Born, 2013).
• Move: in 120 older adults, aerobic exercise training grew the hippocampus, a key memory area, by 2% and improved spatial memory (Erickson et al., 2011).

How Memory Works

Memory has three stages. Encoding is taking information in, which depends on attention. Consolidation is the brain stabilizing a new memory, much of which happens during sleep (Rasch and Born, 2013). Retrieval is pulling the memory back out, and practicing retrieval itself makes the memory stronger (Roediger and Karpicke, 2006). Most memory problems in daily life are encoding problems: if you were not paying attention, the memory was never stored well in the first place. Our guide on how to focus covers that side.

How to Improve Memory: 10 Science-Backed Techniques

1. Test yourself instead of rereading

Close the book and write or say what you remember, then check. In a classic experiment, rereading gave slightly better recall after 5 minutes, but self-testing gave substantially better recall after 2 days and a week, even though rereaders felt more confident (Roediger and Karpicke, 2006). Flashcards, practice questions and explaining a topic out loud all count.

2. Space your practice

Short sessions spread over days beat one long session. A large review of distributed practice found spacing improves retention, and the ideal gap between reviews gets longer the further ahead you need to remember (Cepeda et al., 2006). A simple pattern is to review the next day, then a few days later, then a week later.

3. Sleep after you learn

Sleep is when the brain actively moves new memories into longer-term storage, with slow-wave sleep playing a central role (Rasch and Born, 2013). Studying late and then cutting sleep short works against you. See how much deep sleep you need for practical steps.

4. Exercise regularly

In a randomized trial in 120 older adults, aerobic exercise training increased the size of the hippocampus by 2%, roughly reversing one to two years of age-related shrinkage, and improved spatial memory; the change tracked higher levels of BDNF, a brain growth factor (Erickson et al., 2011). Brisk walking several times a week is a realistic start.

5. Use the memory palace and other mnemonics

Mnemonics turn abstract facts into vivid images, rhymes or acronyms. In the memory palace, you picture a familiar place and "place" each item along a route, then walk the route to recall them. When ordinary adults practiced mnemonic training for 6 weeks, their brain networks shifted toward the patterns seen in memory champions, and their memory gains held up to 4 months later (Dresler et al., 2017).

6. Chunk information

Group long strings into a few meaningful units, the way a phone number is split into blocks or vocabulary is grouped by theme. Fewer, larger units are easier to hold in mind and to store.

7. Put it in your own words

Summarizing a page in your own words, connecting new facts to what you already know, or teaching it to someone else forces you to process the meaning, which also gives you built-in retrieval practice (Roediger and Karpicke, 2006).

8. Cut multitasking when you learn

Because memories start with attention, switching between tasks while you learn weakens encoding. Put the phone away for focused blocks; techniques from mindfulness for focus help train attention.

9. Manage stress

Many people find that ongoing stress makes it harder to concentrate and recall. Short daily practices such as slow breathing or a walk help; our guide on how to calm down has quick techniques.

10. Eat for your brain

A diet built around vegetables, fruit, whole grains, fish, nuts and olive oil supports overall health; see our list of anti-inflammatory foods.

How to Improve Memory Fast

If you have a test, presentation or meeting coming up:

1. Quiz yourself on the key points rather than rereading (Roediger and Karpicke, 2006).
2. Do several short sessions over the days you have, instead of one long one (Cepeda et al., 2006).
3. Sleep the night after studying, so the brain can consolidate what you learned (Rasch and Born, 2013).
4. Turn lists into a memory palace or an acronym (Dresler et al., 2017).

Food matters as well; our guide to brain foods covers leafy greens, berries and fish.

Memory Supplements: What Research Shows

Supplements work best on top of the habits above. A few ingredients have human research:

• Bacopa monnieri: a meta-analysis of 9 randomized trials with 518 people found bacopa improved cognition, particularly speed of attention (Kongkeaw et al., 2014). Bacopa is one of the ingredients in our Clarity Capsules.
• Huperzine A: a plant compound that slows the breakdown of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger involved in learning and memory (Friedli et al., 2021). Learn more on our huperzine A ingredient page.
• Citicoline: a source of choline, which the body uses to make acetylcholine; see our citicoline benefits guide.
• Lion's mane: a mushroom studied for brain health; see lion's mane for brain health.

Our Clarity Capsules combine lion's mane, bacopa, rhodiola, maca, epimedium and huperzine A, and Clarity Nasal Spray combines NAD+, alpha GPC, huperzine A and methyl B12. For the bigger picture, see our cognitive health and mental clarity hub. Give any supplement 8 to 12 weeks alongside good sleep and practice before judging it, and check with a doctor first if you take medication, since huperzine A affects acetylcholine.

For the bacopa trials in more detail, see our guide to bacopa monnieri benefits. For citicoline in a capsule, our Brain Energy Capsules pair it with PQQ and L-ergothioneine, with no caffeine or other stimulants. To weigh two of these ingredients against each other, our guide to bacopa vs lion's mane compares them side by side.

When to See a Doctor

Everyday lapses, like forgetting why you walked into a room, are normal. See a doctor if memory problems are new and getting worse, interfere with work or daily tasks, worry the people close to you, or come with confusion, getting lost in familiar places or changes in personality. Many causes are treatable, so a checkup is worth it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to improve memory?

Testing yourself and spacing your practice have the strongest research behind them (Roediger and Karpicke, 2006; Cepeda et al., 2006), backed by good sleep and regular exercise.

How can I improve my memory fast?

Quiz yourself on the material in several short sessions and sleep well afterward. Retrieval practice gives better retention within days than rereading (Roediger and Karpicke, 2006).

Does exercise improve memory?

Yes. Aerobic exercise training enlarged the hippocampus by 2% and improved spatial memory in older adults (Erickson et al., 2011).

Does sleep improve memory?

Yes. Sleep, especially slow-wave sleep, actively consolidates new memories (Rasch and Born, 2013).

What supplements help memory?

Bacopa has the most consistent human data, with a meta-analysis showing improved cognition, particularly speed of attention (Kongkeaw et al., 2014). Choline sources such as citicoline and acetylcholine-supporting compounds such as huperzine A are also used.

Can you improve memory after 40?

Yes. The exercise trial that grew the hippocampus was in older adults (Erickson et al., 2011), and retrieval practice and spacing work at any age.

How long does it take to improve memory?

Study techniques like self-testing pay off within days (Roediger and Karpicke, 2006). Mnemonic training showed lasting gains after 6 weeks of practice (Dresler et al., 2017), and exercise effects build over months.

Is forgetting things normal?

Yes, occasional lapses are normal at every age. New or worsening problems that affect daily life are a reason to see a doctor.

Sources

• Roediger HL, Karpicke JD. Test-enhanced learning: taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychol Sci. 2006. PubMed 16507066
• Cepeda NJ, et al. Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: a review and quantitative synthesis. Psychol Bull. 2006. PubMed 16719566
• Rasch B, Born J. About sleep's role in memory. Physiol Rev. 2013. PubMed 23589831
• Erickson KI, et al. Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011. PubMed 21282661
• Dresler M, et al. Mnemonic training reshapes brain networks to support superior memory. Neuron. 2017. PubMed 28279356
• Kongkeaw C, et al. Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on cognitive effects of Bacopa monnieri extract. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014. PubMed 24252493
• Friedli MJ, et al. Huperzine A and its neuroprotective molecular signaling in Alzheimer's disease. Molecules. 2021. PubMed 34770940

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is for education and is not medical advice. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Talk with a healthcare provider before starting a new supplement if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication.