08 Feb 2023

What causes short-term memory loss?

Written by Ashley Owen

From forgetting where you put your keys to failing to remember someone’s name, almost everyone experiences short-term memory loss from time to time. But what causes it? And more importantly, what can we do to prevent it? Here, we shed light on some reasons behind short-term memory loss – and offer plenty of top tips to help you overcome it.

A very brief overview of memory

Before discussing short-term memory loss, it might be useful to have an overview of the different types of memory. This is still a topic of debate. However, most experts believe that we have at least four kinds – or stages – of memory:

Sensory memory – an extremely brief recall of sensory information, for example a sound you hear but forget a second later
Short-term memory – a recall of a few pieces of information for approximately 30 seconds, for example a phone number someone tells you
Working memory – recalling a limited amount of information for a short time while you manipulate it. For example, you use this when solving a maths question in your head or having a conversation
Long-term memory – storage of a wide variety of information, experiences, etc. for longer than 30 seconds. We can further divide this into explicit or conscious memories, and implicit or unconscious memories. The vast majority of our memories fall into this category.

Let’s turn our focus to short-term memory. This is essentially how our brain temporarily stores information we’ve just acquired. Research indicates that we're able to hold approximately seven distinct pieces of data in our short-term memory at one time.(1)

Unless you make a conscious effort to keep it in your mind, you generally forget this information after about 30 seconds. Conversely, information can move from our short-term memory into our long-term memory, ready to be recalled at a later date. When you remember an incident from your childhood or a fact you learned last week, you’re pulling that knowledge from your long-term memory.

What is short-term memory loss?

Short-term memory loss is forgetting information you’ve just learned, or being unable to retain information in the short term. Here, ‘short term’ doesn’t only refer to a period of 30 seconds, but could be up to a few days. Some common examples of short-term memory loss include forgetting things like:

Where you put your keys or sunglasses
What the time is after looking at your phone or watch
Information someone just told you

If this feels familiar, don’t worry. Almost everyone in the world experiences some short-term memory loss now and then. It could be because something was distracting you, you weren’t paying attention, or you were under a lot of stress. Some forgetfulness is also just a normal part of getting older. However, sometimes short-term memory loss is so frequent or severe that it interferes with daily life. In these cases, it could be a sign of something more serious.

The good news is that there are several techniques you can use to help improve your short-term memory. From eating a healthier diet to harnessing natural remedies and making simple lifestyle changes, you have plenty of ways to give your brain a boost. The right approach will depend on numerous factors, including the cause of your short-term memory loss, which we’ll discuss shortly.

What is long-term memory loss?

Prior to covering potential causes of short-term memory loss, it’s worth clarifying the difference between that and long-term memory loss.

Long-term memory loss is where you have difficulty recalling significant information that you used to know. This could be common words, events that happened earlier in your life, or people and places from your past. It also includes forgetting how to do important activities and familiar tasks, such as using a computer or driving.

There are lots of potential causes of, and treatments for, long-term memory loss. However, as the title implies, in this article we’re going to focus on short-term memory loss.

What are the most common causes of short-term memory loss?

The question of what causes memory loss has many possible answers. A wide variety of factors, conditions, diseases, and circumstances can contribute to short-term memory loss. In some cases the reason may be obvious, whereas in other instances it might be less clear. To help you narrow it down, here are some of the more common causes of short-term memory loss:

Ageing

It’s natural for people to experience mild short-term memory loss as they get older. However, this is not inevitable, and we're able to stave off cognitive decline through diet and lifestyle changes.

Sleep deprivation

Not getting enough sleep can impair our cognitive functions in several ways, including causing short-term memory loss. Sleep is crucial for both the consolidation of memories and our ability to focus and learn new things.

Head injuries

Certain types of head injury, such as concussions, can damage brain cells. This may result in temporary or even permanent short-term memory loss.

Neurodegenerative diseases

When it comes to memory loss diseases are perhaps what we worry about the most. Conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, brain tumours, and dementia can all damage the brain and cause short-term memory loss.

Mental health conditions

Stress and anxiety may both cause cognitive difficulties, including making it more difficult to focus and store information. Research has also linked PTSD and depression with short-term memory loss.(2)

Nutritional deficiencies

A lack of certain vitamins and minerals can have a detrimental impact on your cognitive functions. Studies link a deficiency in vitamin B12, folic acid and thiamine in particular with short-term memory loss.(3)

Substance misuse

Excessive consumption of alcohol and specific recreational drugs can cause short-term memory loss.(4) It may also be a side effect of some prescription medication.