Apparently, studies show that afternoon napping can prime the brain for learning. New research has found that young adults who slept for 90 minutes after lunch raised their learning power, their memory apparently primed to absorb new facts. I thought this was interesting because I recently have tried to get throughout the day without a nap. Someone once told me it makes one feel more tired and drag through the rest of the day. This research seems consistent. "You need to sleep before learning, to prepare your brain, like a dry sponge, to absorb new information,” said the lead investigator, Matthew P. Walker, an assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley. The study eventually recruited 30 healty young adults and split them into two groups. All of which were asked to learn over 100 names and faces at noon, then to learn a different set around 6 p.m. 20 of the volunteers who slept for the full 90 minutes improved their score by 10% after sleeping.Those who did not sleep actually dropped by 10%. So,next time you feel a cat nap is appropriate, feel free!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/health/research/23beha.html?ref=health
