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Reactivating memory, replicating science: Insights from the ongoing ManyBeds study of sleep-dependent learning

Poster Session E - Monday, March 9, 2026, 2:30 – 4:30 pm PDT, Fairview/Kitsilano Ballroom

Julia Beitner¹ (), Gordon B. Feld^1,2; ¹Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany, ²University of Heidelberg, Germany

Targeted memory reactivation (TMR) proposes that re-exposing sensory cues associated with prior learning during sleep can strengthen memory consolidation. In a seminal study, Rudoy et al. (2009) found that auditory cues presented during slow-wave sleep selectively reduced forgetting for cued image-location pairs, suggesting that sleep-dependent reactivation can help stabilize specific memories. However, the true magnitude and robustness of this effect remain uncertain, as meta-analytic estimates indicate that previously reported effects may be considerably smaller than initially assumed. To address this open question, the ManyBeds project unites more than 13 laboratories across Asia, Europe, and North America in a coordinated, preregistered replication effort. Using standardized behavioral, electrophysiological, and questionnaire protocols, the consortium will collect data from over 600 participants to derive the most precise and transparent estimate of the TMR effect to date. Data collection is currently underway, with participating sites contributing datasets across all continents. A split-half design divides the data into exploratory and confirmatory halves, enabling a many-analysts approach in which independent teams preregister, exchange, and validate their analyses on withheld data. By combining large-scale collaboration with rigorous Open Science practices, ManyBeds will not only assess the reliability of TMR during sleep but also illuminate how analytical and theoretical flexibility influence replicability in cognitive neuroscience. The project aims to establish a benchmark for reproducible, collaborative experimental science in human sleep research and to demonstrate how open, theory-driven, and cooperative science can advance confidence in neuroscientific findings.

Topic Area: LONG-TERM MEMORY: Episodic