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Short naps can improve memory

<p>Rather than distracting you from the task at hand, naps can improve your memory function, a new sleep study has found.</p> <p>Scientists at the Saarland University in Germany have found that taking a 45 to 60 minute power nap can boost a persons’ memory by up to five-fold.</p> <p>The study, published in the journal Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, showed participants 90 words and 120 unrelated word pairs. The group was then split into two: one group took a nap and the other group watched a DVD.</p> <p>When the participants were tested again, the group who had napped were able to remember the words as accurately as they could after they learn them.</p> <p>Professor Axel Mecklinger, who supervised the study, said: “A short nap at the office or in school is enough to significantly improve learning success. Wherever people are in a learning environment, we should think seriously about the positive effects of sleep.”</p> <p>He added: “Even a short sleep lasting 45 to 60 minutes produces a five-fold improvement in information retrieval from memory.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/mind/2015/12/positive-thinking-and-mental-health/"><strong>Can positive thinking improve your mental health?</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/mind/2015/12/health-benefits-of-turmeric/"><strong>Turmeric boosts mood and mind</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/mind/2015/12/definition-of-happiness-changes-with-age/"><strong>Your definition of happiness changes with age</strong></a></em></span></p>

Mind

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Wake up Jeff! Extended napping in seniors may signal dementia

<div> <div class="copy"> <p>Daytime napping in older people is common and a normal part of aging, however, in excess it may also foreshadow <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/predictive-test-for-alzheimers-disease/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alzheimer’s disease</a> and other <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/dementias-rising-pressure/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dementias</a>, according to a <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/alz.12636" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new study</a>.</p> <p>Researchers found that excessive daytime napping predicts an increased future risk of Alzheimer’s dementia. And, once dementia or its usual precursor – mild cognitive impairment – are diagnosed, the frequency and/or duration of napping accelerates rapidly.</p> <p>The results were published in <em>Alzheimer’s &amp; Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association</em>.</p> <p>“Daytime sleep behaviors of older adults are oftentimes ignored, and a consensus for daytime napping in clinical practice and health care is still lacking,” says co-first author Dr Peng Li, based at the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachussets, US.</p> <p>“Our results not only suggest that excessive daytime napping may signal an elevated risk of Alzheimer’s dementia, but they also show that faster yearly increase in daytime napping may be a sign of deteriorating or unfavored clinical progression of the disease,” adds Li.</p> <p>The study tracked data from 1,401 seniors for up to 14 years. Those studied, approximately three-quarters of whom were female, had an average age of 81 years. They wore watch-like devices that tracked mobility continuously for up to 14 days every year. Each prolonged period without activity detected by the device between 9am and 7pm was interpreted as a nap.</p> <p>In addition, they underwent yearly neuropsychological tests to evaluate cognition. At the start of the study 75.7% of participants had no cognitive impairment, while 19.5% had mild impairment and 4.1% had Alzheimer’s disease.</p> <p>The researchers found that longer and more frequent daytime naps were a risk factor for developing dementia in cognitively normal older men and women. As the disease progressed, annual increases in the duration and frequency of napping accelerated – especially after the clinical manifestation of Alzheimer’s dementia.</p> <p>This occurred independent of known risk factors for dementia – including age and night-time sleep duration and fragmentation.</p> <p>“We found the association between excessive daytime napping and dementia remained after adjusting for night-time quantity and quality of sleep,” says co-senior author Dr Yue Leng of the University of California San Francisco. “This suggested that the role of daytime napping is important itself and is independent of night-time sleep.”</p> <p>This increase in napping may be explained by a <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/alzheimers-disease-destroys-neurons-that-keep-us-awake/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2019 study</a>, which compared the post-mortem brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease to those without cognitive impairment and found they had fewer wake-promoting neurons in three brain regions.</p> <p>The authors acknowledge the limitation that, because the study participants were older, the findings may not easily translate to younger cohort. They also suggest that future studies should test whether a direct intervention in daytime napping can lower the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia or cognitive decline.</p> <p>“I don’t think we have enough evidence to draw conclusions about a causal relationship, that it’s the napping itself that caused cognitive aging, but excessive daytime napping might be a signal of accelerated aging or cognitive aging process,” says Leng. “It would be very interesting for future studies to explore whether intervention of naps may help slow down age-related cognitive decline.”</p> <p>“Our hope is to draw more attention to daytime sleep patterns and the importance of patients noting if their sleep schedule is changing over time,” adds co-senior author Dr Kun Hu, also of Brigham and Women’s Hospital.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em><!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --> <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=185634&amp;title=Wake+up+Jeff%21+Extended+napping+in+seniors+may+signal+dementia" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" /> <!-- End of tracking content syndication --></em></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/body-and-mind/alzheimers-dementia-nap/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Imma Perfetto. </em></p> </div> </div>

Mind

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Healthy father-of-two dies during a nap

<p>A 36-year-old father has mysteriously died in his sleep, despite having no underlying health conditions. </p> <p>After returning home from a night shift, Daniel Perkins laid down for a nap with the intention of picking his two sons up in the later hours of December 8th. </p> <p>However, the Shellharbour dad never woke up. </p> <p>Daniel's brother-in-law Shane Anderson said his sister Nikki Perkins and the couple's two children, Logan and Jordi, have "experienced the unthinkable". </p> <p>"He would do anything for his boys and Nikki," Shane told <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/news/nsw/community-rallies-around-nsw-family-after-father-of-two-daniel-perkins-dies-in-his-sleep-c-4936573" target="_blank">7News</a>.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">"Nikki would often wonder why he was taking so long and it's because he was chatting to the man at the bakery, or the coffee shop and would always have a chat with the teachers when picking the boys up from school."</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">"He was the most genuine and caring bloke, but also a jokester and would love a good laugh."</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Shane started an <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-create-a-secure-future-for-daniels-sons">online fundraiser</a> to help provide a secure and "beautiful, fun filled future for his sons."</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">"They deserve every chance and more on this uphill battle into the future," he said.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">In the five days since the fundraiser began, the family has received over $50,000 in donations. </p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">The cause of Daniel's death has yet to be determined, as the family has urged people to go and have regular health check-ups. </p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><em>Image credits: Facebook / GoFundMe</em></p>

Caring

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Joe Biden and Boris Johnson caught napping at COP26

<p dir="ltr">US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson were both caught trying to catch some shut eye during the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow this week, and while that may sound bad, many people were quick to look for the nuance in the situation.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a video posted to Twitter by<span> </span><em>Washington Post<span> </span></em>journalist Zach Purser Brown, President Biden can be seen closing his eyes for approximately 20 seconds, before he is approached by an aide. After their conversation, Biden can be seen rubbing his eyes.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Biden appears to fall asleep during COP26 opening speeches <a href="https://t.co/az8NZTWanI">pic.twitter.com/az8NZTWanI</a></p> — Zach Purser Brown (@zachjourno) <a href="https://twitter.com/zachjourno/status/1455174496164458496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Some weren’t convinced he was actually falling asleep, with one Twitter user writing, "I have extensive knowledge re: watching old men fall asleep during church. This ain’t that. I’d bet everything he was just closing his eyes so he can listen better w/out distraction."</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, others accepted that he was falling asleep, but shared their own experiences of what his schedule might have looked like that contextualised his exhaustion. One Twitter user wrote, “When I worked in the Joint Staff and would go NATO meetings, we'd typically fly overnight then have a whole day of meetings...I'd grow my fingernails long to stick them into my palms during the meeting to keep from falling asleep. Nice work by the aide to intervene.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Others said it indicated he was not up to the job, with one person writing, “If it isn’t that important, then he shouldn’t be there. If it is important and he can’t stay awake, then he shouldn’t be there. Either way it shows he is not up to the job.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Fortunately, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was on hand to help Biden feel less alone. He was spotted shutting his eyes during the opening ceremony of the conference, while seated next to Sir David Attenborough and the Secretary-General of the United Nations. While some made fun of the Prime Minister for nodding off, others wondered why he was not wearing a mask when both men next to him were.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Takes an extra special kind of dickhead to not wear a mask to protect David fucking Attenborough <a href="https://t.co/UwJFBxc3pz">pic.twitter.com/UwJFBxc3pz</a></p> — James Felton (@JimMFelton) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimMFelton/status/1455271483102703622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">A source at Number 10 said it was “total nonsense” to suggest Johnson had been falling asleep. Obviously, he was just resting his eyes.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter/<span>Getty Images</span></em></p>

News

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Tired dad's genius nap hack

<p>Nurse Michael Weber was exhausted after coming home from a 12-hour shift. His wife wanted to take their four kids aged from 5 to 12 to the shops in the snow, but Michael decided to look after the kids so she could go alone.</p> <p>When Monica came home, she was caught off guard by what she saw.</p> <p>In a stroke of parenting genius, Michael had asked his kids to draw him while he posed.</p> <p>"I'm pretty sure he's the most brilliant man I've ever known," Ms Weber wrote in a post to Facebook. "He has them doing 'realism art' while he 'poses' AKA naps. The winner gets a chocolate, but let's be honest, Michael is the one winning."</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto%2F%3Ffbid%3D162819024959501%26set%3Dp.162819024959501&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=552&amp;height=697&amp;appId" width="552" height="697" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>Parents around the world were fans of the idea.</p> <p>"As an L&amp;D nurse who worked night shift (every Fri, Sat, Sun) so I could be at home with the kids - my husband and I have nine (9), I totally get this!" one woman wrote. "I had to think of creative ways to get naps in while my husband worked a Mon-Fri "regular" job. Kudos, mad kudos."</p> <p>"You and your husband made my day with this," said another. "My partner works away all week as a truck driver and his first question is always, do I need 5 minutes on my own. Gotta love men whose first thought is their partner."</p> <p>Monica added later more details about the idea.</p> <p>"Between his time in the military and job as an OR nurse he is the lightest sleeper ever," she wrote, adding that her eldest two kids are also capable of getting his attention if it was needed. </p> <p>"I was gone maybe 20 minutes, no one was hurt, no houses burned down, no eyes poked out with pencils," she wrote."I took the picture upon my return when all the kids Sshhed me because they wanted to finish their drawing. I didn't pose the kids (if you know my kids they would do about anything for chocolate lol), everyone enjoyed their "art break" and Mike took some stress off my plate while resting his eyes."</p> <p>"Our kiddos are not perfect," she continued. "There are plenty of days we face all the same challenges every other "big" family faces who try to find balance between work, family, and life.</p> <p>"That's why these little moments are worth celebrating."</p> </div> </div> </div>

Family & Pets

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Guilty about that afternoon nap? Don’t be – it’s good for you

<p>You may be familiar with that feeling of overwhelming sleepiness during the mid-afternoon. It’s common, occurs whether you’ve eaten lunch or not, and is caused by a natural<span> </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8795795">dip in alertness</a><span> </span>from about 1 to 3pm. So, if you find yourself fighting off sleep in the middle of the day and you’re somewhere where you can have a nap, then do it.</p> <p>Taking the time for a brief nap will<span> </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16796222">relieve the sleepiness</a><span> </span>almost immediately and improve alertness for several hours after waking. And there are many other benefits too.</p> <p><strong>Understanding why we nap</strong></p> <p>People nap for lots of reasons, some which are:</p> <ul> <li> <p>to catch up on lost sleep</p> </li> <li> <p>in anticipation of sleep loss to avoid feeling sleepy later on</p> </li> <li> <p>for enjoyment, boredom or to pass time.</p> </li> </ul> <p>Napping is relatively common. In fact, about 50% of us<span> </span><a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0113666">report taking a nap</a><span> </span>at least once per week.</p> <p>Napping rates<span> </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=SIESTAS+AMONG+BRAZILIAN+NATIVE+TERENA+ADULTS++A+STUDY+OF+DAYTIME+NAPPING">are greater</a><span> </span>in countries like Greece, Brazil and Mexico that have a culture of<span> </span><em>siesta</em>, which incorporate “quiet time” in the early afternoon for people to go home for a nap. In such countries, up to 72% of people will nap as often as four times per week.</p> <p><strong>The perks of napping</strong></p> <p>Naps are not only beneficial because they make us feel less sleepy and more alert, but because they improve our<span> </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21075238">cognitive functioning</a>, reaction times, short-term memory and even our mood.</p> <p>Our research (not yet published) has found those who regularly nap report feeling more alert after a brief nap in the afternoon when compared to those who only nap occasionally.</p> <p>Another<span> </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16540232">research group</a><span> </span>found that motor learning, which is where brain pathways change in response to learning a new skill, was significantly greater following a brief afternoon nap for regular nappers when compared to non-nappers.</p> <p>In fact, the overall benefits of naps are similar to those experienced after<span> </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7792499">consuming caffeine</a>(or other stimulant medications) but without the side effects of caffeine dependence and possibly disrupted sleep at night time.</p> <p><strong>How long should a nap be?</strong></p> <p>The amount of time you spend napping really depends on the time you have available, how you want the nap to work for you, and your plans for the coming night. Generally speaking, the longer a nap is, the longer you will feel rejuvenated after waking.</p> <p>Long naps of one to two hours during the afternoon will mean you are less sleepy (and require less sleep) that night. This could mean it will take longer than usual to fall asleep.</p> <p>If you are planning to stay up later than usual, or if taking a little longer to fall asleep at bedtime is not bothersome, time your nap for about 1.5 hours. This is the length of a normal sleep cycle. You will experience deep sleep for about an hour or so followed by light sleep for the last half an hour.</p> <p>Waking up during light sleep will leave you feeling refreshed and alert. However, waking during deep sleep will not. If you sleep too long and miss the light sleep at the end of a nap, chances are you will wake up feeling sluggish and drowsy. If you do experience feeling drowsy after a nap, don’t worry – this feeling is temporary and will go away after a while.</p> <p>Another option is to have a brief “power” nap. Brief naps of 10-15 minutes can significantly improve alertness, cognitive performance and mood<span> </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12220317">almost immediately after waking</a>. The benefits typically last for a few hours.</p> <p>Power naps are great because you won’t experience any sluggish or drowsy feelings after waking. This is because you do not enter any deep sleep during this brief time.</p> <p>Research<span> </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10210616">suggests</a>, a brief,<span> </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10380949">early-to-mid-afternoon nap</a><span> </span>provides the greatest rejuvenation when compared to naps at any other time of the day. However, if you’re struggling to stay awake, a brief nap taken at any time can be help keep you alert.</p> <p><em>Written by Nicole Lovato. Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/guilty-about-that-afternoon-nap-dont-be-its-good-for-you-89023" target="_blank">The Conversation.</a></em></p>

Mind

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Should we nap during the day?

<p>Often during the day I feel the need to have a bit of a lie-down. Whether it’s been a busy day, I didn’t sleep well the night before, or for no particular reason I know of. But some will warn that you’ll be ruined for sleep that night if you nap during the day.</p> <p>We asked five experts if we should nap during the day.</p> <p><strong>Four out of five experts said yes</strong></p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259889/original/file-20190220-148520-121cdzg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /> <span class="caption"></span></p> <p>Here are their detailed responses:</p> <p><iframe id="tc-infographic-379" class="tc-infographic" height="400px" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/379/74794ec5d666c0d14a4361da14880ec3c69c3fdc/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none;" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <p><em>None of the authors have any interests or affiliations to declare.</em><!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/112523/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>Written by <span>Alexandra Hansen, Chief of Staff, The Conversation</span>. Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://theconversation.com/we-asked-five-experts-should-we-nap-during-the-day-112523"><em>The Conversation</em></a><em>.</em></p>

Mind

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Which is better: Coffee or a nap?

<p><strong><u>Your head hurts</u></strong></p> <p><strong>Drink Coffee</strong></p> <p>Caffeine improves the absorption of pain relievers, so pair an espresso with an analgesic like aspirin to treat a headache.</p> <p><strong><u>You want to run faster</u></strong></p> <p><strong>Drink Coffee</strong></p> <p>Caffeine boosts endurance and speed; estimates put performance gains at 1-3%. A 77kg man will need about a cup and a half of coffee one hour before a race.</p> <p><strong><u>You must do well in a test</u></strong></p> <p><strong>Take a nap</strong></p> <p>An hour-long nap “can be as good as a whole night of sleep in terms of storing information,” says William Fishbein, a psychologist and neuroscientist at the City University of New York.</p> <p><strong><u>You’re grumpy and sleep-deprived</u></strong></p> <p><strong>Drink coffee and take a nap</strong></p> <p>Both cof fee and naps can improve mood individually; combined, they ’re magical. Swill cof fee before a 30-minute nap, and wake up happy.</p> <p><strong><u>You require creative insight</u></strong></p> <p><strong>Take a nap</strong></p> <p>Tales of discoveries made in dreams – or in flashes upon waking – are common, maybe because REM sleep is thought to facilitate connections between ideas.</p> <p><em>Written by Vanessa Gregory. This article first appeared in </em><a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/tips/11-Things-to-Never-Say-to-Someone-With-Chronic-Pain"><em>Reader’s Digest</em>.</a><em> For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </em><a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA87V"><em>here’s our best subscription offer.</em></a></p> <p> </p> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p>

Caring

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Are naps good for us?

<p><em><strong>Gemma Peach is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Biological Rhythms Research Lab at Washington State University. Her work focuses on the effect of sleep deprivation and the connection between sleep and cognitive performance.</strong></em></p> <p>Catnap, kip, snooze, siesta; whatever you call naps, there is no doubt these once frowned-upon short sleeps are gaining acceptance. The increase in popularity is not surprising, with the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0215-enough-sleep.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US</a></strong></span> finding around a third of American adults do not get the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-how-much-sleep-do-we-need-29759" target="_blank">recommended seven hours sleep each night</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>Insufficient sleep not only affects our overall performance, but can affect some physiological functions such as changes to hormones, metabolic factors and immunity. From a business perspective, insufficient sleep can translate into lost profits due to decreased worker productivity. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://sleep.org/articles/sleeping-work-companies-nap-rooms-snooze-friendly-policies/" target="_blank">This has led companies</a></strong></span> such as Google, Nike and Ben &amp; Jerry’s to encourage or allow napping at work, providing employees with napping facilities such as napping pods and quiet rooms in which they can nap if desired.</p> <p><strong>The pros and cons</strong></p> <p>Naps have been shown to be effective in reducing and minimising some of the negative effects of insufficient sleep. For example, compared to when no nap is taken, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2008.00718.x/full" target="_blank">naps have been shown</a></strong></span> to effectively reduce feelings of sleepiness and improve cognitive performance on tasks such as reaction time and vigilance.<strong> </strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2009.00740.x/full" target="_blank">Naps may also help to improve</a></strong></span> short-term memory and overall mood.</p> <p>Moreover, these improvements can last for a few hours after the nap has ended. Naps may also offer longer lasting <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21075238" target="_blank">improvements in cognitive performance</a></strong></span> and reduced sleepiness than other commonly used countermeasures of sleepiness such as caffeine.</p> <p>But as with everything, there are downsides too. Although naps are associated with performance improvements and reduced sleepiness, these benefits may not be immediate. Naps can be associated with a period of sleep inertia, which is the feeling of grogginess most people experience immediately after waking.</p> <p>Sleep inertia is also characterised by a decrease in performance ranging from slowed reaction time to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079200900984" target="_blank">decreased coordination</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>While the effects of sleep inertia generally subside within 15-60 minutes after waking from a nap, this period of delayed responsiveness and grogginess <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5136610/" target="_blank">may pose serious risks</a></strong></span> for individuals who are required to function at optimal levels shortly after waking, such as those in transportation, aviation and medicine.</p> <p>Following a nap, a period of sleep inertia may occur, before sleepiness is reduced and performance improved.</p> <p>There is some research showing naps may affect your ability to get to sleep at night. Following an afternoon or evening nap, night time sleep duration <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/2750068/Effects" target="_blank">may be shortened and more disrupted</a></strong></span> according to some studies. But there is some debate about this. A <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4442224/" target="_blank">majority of the research</a></strong></span> suggests naps have minimal impact on night time sleep.</p> <p><strong>It’s all about timing</strong></p> <p>The degree to which naps help, or hinder, largely depends on the timing and duration of the nap. Longer naps (two hours or longer) are associated with longer lasting performance improvements and reduced sleepiness than short (30 minutes or less) or brief naps (ten minutes or less). Longer naps, however, are also more susceptible to sleep inertia, with a worsening in performance immediately following the nap. Alternatively, the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780444537027000099" target="_blank">benefits of brief naps occur almost immediately</a></strong></span> and are without the negative side-effect of sleep inertia.</p> <p>Longer naps may also <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11560181/" target="_blank">have a greater impact on subsequent sleep periods</a></strong></span> than shorter naps, as they may decrease “sleep pressure”, which can make falling and staying asleep more difficult.</p> <p>The time of day naps occur can also affect the benefits of napping. Naps taken in the early morning hours, when there is a high circadian drive for sleep, may worsen the effects of sleep inertia and may not offer as much recuperation <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2008.00718.x/full" target="_blank">compared to naps taken in the afternoon</a></strong></span>.</p> <p><strong>One sleep or two?</strong></p> <p>More recently it has been suggested that perhaps humans were not meant to have one sleep, but were <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/did-we-used-to-have-two-sleeps-rather-than-one-should-we-again-57806" target="_blank">meant to sleep bi-modally</a></strong></span> - two shorter sleeps instead of one long one a day. While there is still some debate about whether this is true or not, it seems the number of sleep episodes may not make much difference to waking performance.</p> <p>Rather, the overall amount of sleep per day, seven to nine hours, is what is likely to have the biggest impact on performance. It’s possible splitting the sleep in this manner may affect different sleep stages such as non-rapid eye movement and rapid eye movement sleep, which may have long-term implications on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/think-positively-about-sleep-by-all-means-but-you-cant-fool-your-body-22695" target="_blank">general health and well-being</a></strong></span>, however these effects need to be investigated further.</p> <p>While there are some disadvantages to napping, such as sleep inertia, for the most part, the benefits of improved performance and reduced sleepiness outweigh the negatives. Short naps, less than 30 minutes, may offer the most “bang for your buck” as they can improve performance quickly with minimal side-effects.</p> <p><em>Written by Gemma Peach. First appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">the Conversation</span></strong></a>.</em> </p>

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Can you spot the cat taking a nap among these logs?

<p>Well, we’ve put you to the test this week, first with the image of the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/08/spot-the-waving-child-hidden-in-this-rocky-landscape/" target="_blank">little girl hidden in a rocky outcrop</a><a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/08/can-you-spot-the-error-in-this-world-map/"></a></strong></span>, then with the deceptive <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/08/can-you-spot-the-error-in-this-world-map/">mistakes in a map of the world</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>But today’s brain teaser might just be the trickiest one yet.</p> <p>Can you see the cat hidden among the logs in the image below?</p> <p><img width="500" height="694" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/25453/cat-logs-_500x694.jpg" alt="Cat Logs -" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>It’s sleeping on a pile. We guarantee you won’t spot it straight away!</p> <p>Still can’t see it? Scroll down for the answer.</p> <p><img width="500" height="694" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/25454/cat-logs-reveal_500x694.jpg" alt="Cat Logs Reveal" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Did you spot the cat? And if so, how long did it take?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments! </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/08/can-you-spot-the-error-in-this-world-map/"><strong>Can you spot the error in this world map?</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/08/spot-the-waving-child-hidden-in-this-rocky-landscape/"><strong>Can you spot the little girl waving to the camera?</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/health/eye-care/2016/04/eyesight-test-red-circle-hidden-image/"><strong>Can you see the image hidden in this circle?</strong></a></em></span></p>

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How to time the perfect nap

<p>According to one expert health guru, Dr Kenny Brockis, having a power nap at this time not only boosts productivity and re-energises us for the day, but also our overall happiness levels.</p> <p>However, while sleeping may seem like a straight forward and easy thing to do, it’s actually harder to achieve than most realise. The secret to a successful power nap was the timing and the hour of the day that people did it.</p> <p>“Early afternoon or lunch is the ideal time to power nap,” she said.</p> <p>“I would suggest people sleep for around 25 minutes only…Any longer and you’ll fall into a deeper sleep and will wake up feeling much worse.</p> <p>Going beyond this time means it will be harder to rouse out of sleep and you’ll probably go into sleep inertia.</p> <p>She explains that each sleep cycle lasts around 60 to 90 minutes and we needed between four and six of these a night to feel totally refreshed.</p> <p>She also advises that you take your nap in a room with the blinds closed or somewhere dark and to switch your phone off or leave it away from you if you can.</p> <p>Do you enjoy a daily afternoon nap? Let us know in the comments below. </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/finance/insurance/2016/06/10-unhealthy-habits-you-need-to-stop-now/"><em>10 unhealthy habits you need to stop now</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/health/mind/2016/06/the-health-benefits-of-a-positive-attitude/"><em>The health benefits of a positive attitude</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/health/mind/2016/06/trick-to-make-you-a-morning-person/">The 4 tricks guaranteed to make you a morning person</a></em></strong></span></p>

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Short naps can improve memory

<p>Rather than distracting you from the task at hand, naps can improve your memory function, a new sleep study has found.</p> <p>Scientists at the Saarland University in Germany have found that taking a 45 to 60 minute power nap can boost a persons’ memory by up to five-fold.</p> <p>The study, published in the journal Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, showed participants 90 words and 120 unrelated word pairs. The group was then split into two: one group took a nap and the other group watched a DVD.</p> <p>When the participants were tested again, the group who had napped were able to remember the words as accurately as they could after they learn them.</p> <p>Professor Axel Mecklinger, who supervised the study, said: “A short nap at the office or in school is enough to significantly improve learning success. Wherever people are in a learning environment, we should think seriously about the positive effects of sleep.”</p> <p>He added: “Even a short sleep lasting 45 to 60 minutes produces a five-fold improvement in information retrieval from memory.”</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/health/body/2015/11/what-makes-you-jump-when-you-fall-asleep/">What makes you jump as you fall asleep?</a></span></strong></em></p> <p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/health/body/2015/11/exercises-to-help-get-out-of-bed/">Exercises to help get out of bed</a></span></strong></em></p> <p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/health/body/2015/09/what-body-does-while-you-sleep/">8 interesting things that happen to your body while you sleep</a></span></strong></em></p> <p> </p>

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Kangaroo napping melts hearts

<p>Ever seen a sleeping kangaroo up close? Neither had we, but these photos of kangaroos napping in the heat of day show they have the cutest faces when drifting off to the land of nod. We wonder what they’re dreaming about.</p> <p><img width="430" height="439" src="http://cdn0.lostateminor.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Screen-Shot-2013-02-21-at-3.34.44-PM1.jpg" alt="Cute photos of sleeping kangaroos"/></p> <p><img width="430" height="700" src="http://cdn0.lostateminor.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/kangaroos1.jpg" alt="sleeping kangaroos"/></p> <p><img width="431" height="520" src="http://cdn0.lostateminor.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Screen-Shot-2013-02-21-at-3.33.39-PM1.jpg" alt="sleeping kangaroos"/></p> <p><img width="426" height="572" src="http://cdn0.lostateminor.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Screen-Shot-2013-02-21-at-3.33.53-PM1.jpg" alt="sleeping kangaroos"/></p> <p><img width="424" height="575" src="http://cdn0.lostateminor.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Screen-Shot-2013-02-21-at-3.34.11-PM1.jpg" alt="sleeping kangaroos"/></p> <p><img width="420" height="530" src="http://cdn0.lostateminor.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Screen-Shot-2013-02-21-at-3.35.01-PM1.jpg" alt="sleeping kangaroos"/></p> <p><em>Image source: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/visionairy/sets/72157602695518551/with/2968778841/" target="_blank">Flickr</a></em></p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/pets/2015/09/panda-steals-apple-video/">Sneaky panda steals buddy’s apple</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/pets/2014/12/worlds-strangest-animals/">10 of the strangest animals ever to exist</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/pets/2015/01/cat-instagram-accounts/">Instagram accounts cat lovers NEED to see</a></strong></em></span></p>

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