What makes a person forgetful

Not getting enough sleep is perhaps the greatest unappreciated cause of forgetfulness. Too little restful sleep can also lead to mood changes and anxiety, which in turn contribute to problems with memory. Tranquilizers, antidepressants , some blood pressure drugs, and other medications can affect memory, usually by causing sedation or confusion.

That can make it difficult to pay close attention to new things. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you suspect that a new medication is taking the edge off your memory. As shown in the table below, alternatives are usually available.

While forgetting is often viewed negatively, it can actually help improve memory. Being able to let go of irrelevant memories and only hold on to the important information helps keep those saved memories stronger, a phenomenon known as adaptive forgetting. While forgetting is not something that you can avoid, understanding the reasons for it can be useful. There are a number of reasons why you forget. In some cases, a number of factors may influence why you struggle to recall information and experiences.

Understanding some of the factors that influence forgetting can make it easier to put memory-improvement strategies into practice. Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Chialvo DR, ed. Davis RL, Zhong Y. The biology of forgetting—a perspective. A progress report on the inhibitory account of retrieval-induced forgetting.

Mem Cognit. Retrieval induces adaptive forgetting of competing memories via cortical pattern suppression [published correction appears in Nat Neurosci. Nat Neurosci. Long-term memory for a common object. Cognitive Psychology. Rapid stimulation of human dentate gyrus function with acute mild exercise. Prefrontal atrophy, disrupted NREM slow waves and impaired hippocampal-dependent memory in aging.

Why forget? On the adaptive value of memory loss. Perspect Psychol Sci. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellMind. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

I Accept Show Purposes. What Does It Mean to Forget? Decay Have you ever felt like a piece of information has just vanished from your memory? Interference Sometimes people forget due to a phenomenon known as interference. There are two basic types of interference: Proactive interference is when an old memory makes it more difficult or impossible to remember a new memory.

Further testing may be recommended. Living a healthy lifestyle is important for brain health. Some ways that you may be able to slow memory loss and cut down on forgetfulness are:.

Emotional problems, such as stress, anxiety, or depression , can make a person more forgetful and can be mistaken for dementia. For instance, someone who has recently retired or who is coping with the death of a spouse , relative, or friend may feel sad, lonely, worried, or bored. Trying to deal with these life changes leaves some people feeling confused or forgetful. The confusion and forgetfulness caused by emotions usually are temporary and go away when the feelings fade.

Emotional problems can be eased by supportive friends and family, but if these feelings last for more than 2 weeks, it is important to get help from a doctor or counselor.

Treatment may include counseling, medication, or both. Being active and learning new skills can also help a person feel better and improve his or her memory.