Next time you're arguing black and blue with someone who is assuring you you're wrong, consider how much sleep you've been getting.
A study by Michigan State University found that people who are sleep deprived are more likely to have errors in their recollection of events.
They showed a group of people images of a simulated burglary and later tested their recollection.
They found that those who had been kept awake for 24 hours, as well as those who had five or fewer hours of sleep, struggled to remember the correct details.
"We found memory distortion is greater after sleep deprivation," said study author psychologist Dr Kimberly Fenn.
"People who repeatedly get low amounts of sleep every night could be more prone in the long run to develop these forms of memory distortion.
"It is not just a full night of sleep deprivation that puts them at risk."
The researchers said this affect may need to be considered in the criminal justice system because eyewitnesses may have to identify an offender after a stressful situation that could have disrupted their sleep.
Dr Carmel Harrington, a sleep scientist and author of The Complete Guide To A Good Night's Sleep told ninemsn that the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep is crucial for laying down memories.
"The hippocampus section of our brain is responsible for memories and is more active in the REM, or dream, phase of sleep than when we're awake," she said.
"If we're not sleeping correctly we do not encode the memory very well.
"And not only do we remember it incorrectly, but we are wedded to that false memory – we think it's the truth."
Professor Nick Antic, president of the Australasian Sleep Association, told ninemsn that the brain flushes out toxins during sleep.
"It seems that during sleep the various drainage systems of the brain open up and enable toxic material to clear from the brain and it might be why memory is impacted and why insufficient sleep is associated with neurodegeneration," he said.
"This sort of information is very important for students who are only getting three or four hours sleep a night cramming for exams – it could be counterproductive if they are not adequately embedding the memories."
The study was published in the journal Psychological Science.
Author: Kimberly Gillan. Approving editor: Wade O'Leary.