Brain Fitness for Life

A new research study out of the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that taking a one hour nap has a positive effect on brain power. This benefit occurs as a result of allowing your mind to clear out temporary storage space when you rest. When this “storage space” is available it increases your ability to absorb new incoming information.

However, their study suggests taking naps not only refreshes the mind, but can make you smarter as well. Dr. Matthew Walker, the primary author of the study, stated, “Sleep not only rights the wrong of prolonged wakefulness but, at a neurocognitive level, it moves you beyond where you were before you took a nap.”

The study was conducted by taking 39 healthy young adult volunteers and putting them into two groups: a nap group and a no-nap group. Both groups were required to perform complicated information-based tasks during the noon hour. In the afternoon the nap group was allowed to rest for an hour and a half while the no-nap group was not.  In the evening both groups had to perform a new set of learning exercises. It is not surprising that the group that was allowed to rest performed better than the group that was not. However, what is surprising is that this group performed better than they had earlier in the day as well (before the nap).

It is believed that as we grow tired throughout the day regions of the brain that are vital for storing new information begin to shut down. Based on prior research, it is believed that the hippocampus temporarily stores fact-based memories before sending these memories over to the brain’s prefrontal cortex for filing. If you visualize your hippocampus as a bucket, eventually this bucket gets full (of information). Walker’s recent research suggests that it is at rest we are able to clear out this information and file it away. However, if the bucket (your hippocampus) gets full before you are able to sleep, it becomes tougher to capture information as it comes in because there is nowhere to put it.

It is well known that our sleep becomes less efficient as we age. As the scientific community continues to learn how sleep effects the brain our hope is it will help us better understand neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and other cognitive impairments. In the meantime, make sure you get good sleep and if your schedule allows, a few afternoon naps as well. Doctor’s orders.