Short naps can improve memory
Rather than distracting you from the task at hand, naps can improve your memory function, a new sleep study has found.
Scientists at the Saarland University in Germany have found that taking a 45 to 60 minute power nap can boost a persons’ memory by up to five-fold.
The study, published in the journal Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, showed participants 90 words and 120 unrelated word pairs. The group was then split into two: one group took a nap and the other group watched a DVD.
When the participants were tested again, the group who had napped were able to remember the words as accurately as they could after they learn them.
Professor Axel Mecklinger, who supervised the study, said: “A short nap at the office or in school is enough to significantly improve learning success. Wherever people are in a learning environment, we should think seriously about the positive effects of sleep.”
He added: “Even a short sleep lasting 45 to 60 minutes produces a five-fold improvement in information retrieval from memory.”
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