Daytime nap 'is as refreshing as a night's sleep'

Daily Telegraph - UK ^ | June 23, 2003 | David Derbyshire

[Mister Magoo]

Daytime nap 'is as refreshing as a night's sleep' By David Derbyshire

Filed: 23/06/2003

Power naps, the post lunch snoozes advocated by Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein and George W Bush, can be as refreshing as a good night's sleep, according to a study.

Scientists have shown that a 60- to 90-minute siesta can charge up the brain's batteries as much as eight hours tucked up in bed. But in order to get the full benefit, dozers need to spend some of that time dreaming, the study found.

The findings come from psychologists at Harvard University, who tested the visual learning ability of volunteers.

The tests, which involved watching and then recalling the position of bars on a computer screen, were carried out at 9am and 7pm, and again at 9am the following day.

Test scores of volunteers not allowed to sleep during the day fell by the evening of the first day. But the reaction times of people who took a 60- to 90-minute sleep during the day improved in the evening, the researchers report in Nature Neuroscience.

Short naps only worked when they included two kinds of sleep - slow-wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The two kinds of sleep are categorised by different brainwave patterns and are thought to help the brain rehearse and process new skills and information learnt during the day.

The scientists, led by Dr Sara Mednick, said: "From the perspective of behavioural improvement, a nap is as good as a night of sleep for learning on this perceptual task."

Power naps also added to the benefits of a good night's sleep. Volunteers who took a nap on the first day of the experiment were 50 per cent better at remembering the task 24 hours later than the non nappers. Last year a study found that men were more likely to take power naps than women.

[LiteKeeper]

Amen - from a dyed-in-the-wool napper!

[kms61]

To each his own, but I don't like to nap. I usually wake up feeling groggy, and that feeling often lasts the rest of the day.

[Allegra]

I always find that when I snag one of those Sunday afternoon naps, my dream state is more active than it is at night. And the dreams are better retained in my memory after I have awaken.

[Drango]

Yeah right...that's why countries with siestas rule the world...

[squidly]

It's too bad siestas have never caught on in the USA. A little after lunch snoozing is definitely the way to go, keeps one alert and energetic well into the evening.

[Allegra]

I meant to say "after I have awakened."

[goldstategop]

Enter the Limbaurium, LOL!

[Cogadh na Sith]

That was one of the upsides to being in a field infantry unit. You slept whenever there was 'downtime'.

We called them 'Combat Naps'. Your body will tell you when it needs sleep. If you push it beyond the point of endurance, it will take the sleep whether you want it to or not...

[shhrubbery!]

Yeah right...that's why countries with siestas rule the world...

They don't rule maybe because they're too hot. Though Spain was a great power for a few centuries, once.

Hey, and look at Churchill. He ruled.

[martin_fierro]

Ditto that -- around 2-3 pm is Brownout Time for me.

[hole_n_one]

Especially after those 3 martini lunches.

[bigghurtt]

would someone please forward this article to my nco's...

[Rennes Templar]

A short nap instead of coffee will extend ones life by many years.

[Lancey Howard]

I take a nap every afternoon and this article is right on.
One thing to remember: Always get your good night's sleep on your belly, with your feet hanging over the end of the bed and your head turned to the left. Take naps on your back. No joke.

[SAJ]

Sounds interesting...why so?

[freebilly]

One thing to remember: Always get your good night's sleep on your belly, with your feet hanging over the end of the bed and your head turned to the left. Take naps on your back. No joke.

My head only turns to the Right!!!!!

[bluefish]

Drango:
Yeah right...that's why countries with siestas rule the world...

Shhrubbery!:
They don't rule maybe because they're too hot. Though Spain was a great power for a few centuries, once. Hey, and look at Churchill. He ruled.

Bluefish:
Seems to me that President Bush comes pretty darn close too, Drango. I'm telling my boss tomorrow morning that I will be taking a 90 minute nap at noon tomorrow. If it works for the President, it should work for me. It should be good for the company!

[radiohead]

aw jeez - don't tell skywalk. he only gets out of bed to freep. if he reads this, he won't even do that - and i need him to take out the trash now and then...

[bluefish]

One thing to remember: Always get your good night's sleep on your belly, with your feet hanging over the end of the bed...

What if you got a big round belly? Would be hard to stay balanced! I picture a sort of rolling off to the side heh heh..

Seriously, can you explain further?