Siestas Improve Your Memory
Posted on | February 26, 2010 | Comments Off
Have a nap - its good for your brain!
An article in the Economist summarises the results of research by scientists at the University of California into the effects of an afternoon nap, or siesta, on a person’s ability to learn information.
It turns out that a nap of around an hour and a half actually improves your capacity to learn. Subjects that had 100 minutes of sleep after one learning session at noon, actually did better in another learning session at 6pm, while those who had no nap did worse.
The explanation is that the period of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, during which we dream, enables the brain to make connections between old memories and those recently laid down. This clears the short-term memory for further learning.
All we need to do now is persuade our bosses that a longer lunch break, including a nice siesta will actually help us in the long run!
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