(LifeScript Health News) Power naps may live up to their name – specifically for their link to memory retention. A small study showed that nappers retained new memory better than non-nappers.
At a Society for Neuroscience meeting, researchers showed that slow-wave sleep – a period of very deep sleep that comes before dream-inducing REM sleep – may boost relational memory, which helps us retain new information.
Dr. William Fishbein, a cognitive neuroscientist at the City University of New York, taught 20 English-speaking students several Chinese words. Afterwards, half of the subjects napped for 90 minutes while the other half did not. Fishbein monitored the nappers’ sleep to ensure they stayed in slow-wave sleep and did not descend into REM sleep. Fishbein found that the nappers had a better recollection of Chinese characters and were better able to discern the meaning of new words.
Scientists are now stressing sleep intensity – or the quality of sleep – instead of duration of sleep. Researchers speculate that the brain may keep working during a power nap to solve problems and conjure up new ideas.
See All Health Alerts
The #1 daily resource for health and lifestyle news!
Your daily resource for losing weight and staying fit.
We could all use some encouragement now and then - we're human!
Explore your destiny as you discover what's written in your stars.
The latest news, tips and recipes for people with diabetes.
Healthy food that tastes delicious too? No kidding.