City
Epaper

Afternoon nap may boost your working memory

By IANS | Updated: January 30, 2021 18:58 IST

Beijing, Jan 30 Taking a regular afternoon nap can keep your brain sharp as a new study suggests that ...

Open in App

Beijing, Jan 30 Taking a regular afternoon nap can keep your brain sharp as a new study suggests that afternoon napping is linked to better mental agility.

The researchers, including Wei Li from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, suggests that afternoon nap seems to be associated with better locational awareness, verbal fluency and working memory.

For the study, published in the journal General Psychiatry, the researchers involved 2,214 ostensibly healthy people aged at least 60 and residents of several large cities around China.

In all, 1,534 took a regular afternoon nap, while 680 did not. All participants underwent a series of health checks and cognitive assessments, including the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) to check for dementia.

The average length of night time sleep was around 6.5 hours in both groups. Afternoon naps were defined as periods of at least five consecutive minutes of sleep, but no more than 2 hours, and taken after lunch.

Participants were asked how often they napped during the week this ranged from once a week to every day.

The dementia screening tests included 30 items that measured several aspects of cognitive ability, and higher function, including visuospatial skills, working memory, attention span, problem-solving, locational awareness and verbal fluency.

The MMSE cognitive performance scores were significantly higher among the nappers than they were among those who did not nap.

And there were significant differences in locational awareness, verbal fluency, and memory.

This is an observational study, and so can't establish the cause. And there was no information on the duration or timing of the naps taken, which may be important, the researchers said.

But there are some possible explanations for the observations found, say the researchers.

One theory is that inflammation is a mediator between mid-day naps and poor health outcomes; inflammatory chemicals have an important role in sleep disorders, note the researchers.

Sleep regulates the body's immune response and napping is thought to be an evolved response to inflammation; people with higher levels of inflammation also nap more often, explain the researchers.

( With inputs from IANS )

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

Tags: Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityGeneral psychiatryWei lichinabeijing
Open in App

Related Stories

InternationalChina Blast: 17 Inured as Explosion Rocks Residential Area in Shanxi Province; Disturbing Video Goes Viral

BusinessGlobal Tech Firms Eye India for Manufacturing Amid US-China Tensions

OpinionsWill the Trump Card work Against China?

International20 Dead After Fire Blows Up A Nursing Home In Northern China (Photos)

InternationalUS Imposes 104% Tariff on China, Effective April 9

Health Realted Stories

HealthSocial pension: Tripura govt sets up new help desk for cancer patients

HealthTN school reopening decision will depend on heatwave conditions: Minister

HealthGlobal recognition of Yoga testament to India’s rich cultural heritage: Ayush Minister

HealthGujarat beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat gettting life-saving medical treatments without financial strain

HealthNHRC asks 11 states to boost measures to prevent heat-related deaths