A Good Nap Can Jog Your Memory - East Idaho News
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A Good Nap Can Jog Your Memory

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Getty 032415 NappingAtDesk?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1427219444674iStock/Thinkstock(SAARBRÜCKEN, Germany) — People who have a hard time remembering facts, figures or even what they had for breakfast should remember this: a nap might help.

Researchers from Saarland University in Germany say short snoozes during the day can assist in memory recall, such as school work or other important information.

Scientists conducted an experiment in which participants were told to memorize 90 words and 120 phrases that had no connection between the first and second word.

Half the group then took a 45-minute nap while the other participants spent that time watching a DVD.

When they were tested again, the nappers remembered as much as five times the words and phrases as those who stayed awake.

What seems to help is that short bursts of activity called sleep spindles, which can be viewed in brain scans, apparently transform short-term memories into ones that last longer.


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