A new study says if you need to make an important decision, consider taking a short nap first.
The research on naps
According to researchers at the University of Bristol Medical School in the United Kingdom, even a short nap appears to help us process information, improve our reaction times and even influence our behavior while awake.
The researchers showed volunteers a “masked prime task” in which the information was presented to quickly that the participants didn’t have time to register anything consciously.
But for the second task, which was considered the control, the volunteers were shown either a blue or red square on a monitor.
After a 90-minute nap, the participants did the tasks again. By measuring the volunteers’ brain activity before and after the nap, the researchers found that the time it took to complete the “masked” task improved, but not in the control task.
The study backs up the idea that the information we take in unconsciously is processed during sleep and that even while awake, we may make better decisions after having taken a nap.
The study was small, however. Only 16 people were recruited for the nap study, so the larger sample size is needed.
Backing up other sleep studies
There have been many other studies on the brain’s improvement after sleep. Other researchers have found that sleep helps both consolidations of new information and memory formation. In addition, sleep deprivation has been shown to negatively affect neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change, grow and respond and adapt to the stimuli it receives.
A study from the University of York in the United Kingdom, which was published in the journal Current Biology, found that using certain auditory cues, scientists could local specific memories and strengthen them while participants slept.
Other studies have found that even short naps can help the brain perform better.
