20-Minute Workout or 90-Minute Nap May Offset Effects of a Sleepless Night
A short bout of aerobic exercise or a 90-minute nap may improve cognitive function after a sleepless night. MStudioImages/E+/Getty Images A short workout or a 90-minute nap may help your brain recover after a sleepless night, a new study found. The nap was particularly effective: people who took it performed about 22% better on memory tests than those who stayed awake. The findings suggest that…
A new study suggests that a 20-minute workout or a 90-minute nap can help improve cognitive function after a sleepless night. Researchers from McGill University found that healthy young adults who engaged in either activity after 30 hours without sleep performed better on memory tests than those who stayed awake. The nap group performed about 22% better on memory tests than the control group, while the exercise group showed a 21% improvement.
Both activities may offer practical ways to offset some cognitive effects of sleep deprivation. However, experts stress that these methods are not replacements for healthy sleep and are limited to specific populations.
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