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For some this may just be the news they want to hear!
In a new book, "Take a Nap! Change your Life," the author Dr Mednick, Harvard University scientist and sleep expert, says that people who take a nap during the day make fewer mistakes and have boosted brainpower.
In one of her studies, she compared the effects of napping to drinking caffeine.
One group of people took a 90-minute nap, another consumed 200mg of caffeine (the amount in a regular mug of coffee), and a control group took a placebo. They then carried out several tasks, including typing and spatial skills (such as remembering the layout of a room or a map). Interestingly, the nappers performed best of all, followed by the placebo group who outperformed the coffee drinkers.
In another study, Dr Mednick put 30 well-rested people through the same set of tasks four times in the course of day, starting at 9am and ending at 7pm.
Performance fell by more than 50 per cent in the people who stayed awake the whole time, while those who napped for an hour in the early afternoon, were able to maintain their performance levels.
Mednick says her findings tie in with studies showing that the brain needs sleep to incorporate newly learned skills into memory.
According to Mednick, the "perfect nap" is 90 minutes. This can produce the same benefits as a seven-hour night of sleep.
"Two shorter, 25-minute naps at lunchtime and after work, may be enough to help catch up on sleep debt. However long and whenever you nap, you will reap health benefits," says Mednick.
Obviously the Spanish have it right - I am off to bed!
Posted by Kevin Kelly at
May 31, 2007 09:54 AM