Take a nap, says science

After breakfast, sleeping for a few minutes is enough for the brain to increase memory capacity and verbal fluency, according to a study published in General Psychiatry.

Chinese researchers studied the sleep patterns of 2,214 healthy adults aged 60 and over who lived in various major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Xian.

They measured their cognitive abilities using various mental dexterity tests. Of the participants, 1,534 reported taking a regular afternoon nap between five minutes and two hours, while the remaining 680 did not.

The results showed that the nap had a positive impact on the mental alertness of the elderly, said lead study author Cai Han, a gerontologist psychiatrist at the Fourth People’s Hospital in Wuhu in China.

“This study found that an appropriate nap is beneficial in maintaining cognitive function, so we encourage older people to take a nap every day,” Han said.

The researchers did not collect data from people under the age of 60, so no correlation can be made between afternoon naps and younger generations.

Five minute naps are not enough to produce a noticeable benefit. On the other hand, sleeping for 30 minutes or more gives the body enough time to go into deep sleep.

“Not all naps are created equal and many factors influence their usefulness,” said Celia Daraio, a neurologist specializing in sleep medicine. He said that “taking a nap too long or waking up from a deep sleep can make the person” groggy “for up to an hour,” he explains.