Patriot Health Digest
Researchers have always known that sleep is essential for wellness. But according to a new study, the time of day which you are getting more rest can make the biggest difference.
A study in General Psychiatry has revealed that sleeping during then afternoon could help your mental agility.
Their discovery? People are better able to have awareness of their surroundings and they have better verbal skills and memory.
To get that result, the researchers analyzed 2,214 healthy individuals over age 60 in China. They found that 1,534 of these people took afternoon naps, while the other 680 did not.
While both groups got around 6 1/2 hours of sleep every night, those who did nap in the afternoon got around five minutes to as much as two hours of extra sleep. Some people reported that they got their nap each day while others said their nap only happened once per week.
Each participant also underwent health checks to see if they had any dementia. These tests included 30 different tests of cognitive functioning, like visuo-spatial skills, attention span, memory, problem-solving skills, awareness, and verbal skills. The findings noted that those who napped had greater scores, specifically with the spatial awareness, memory and verbal skills.
The researched explained that more was needed on this topic, because the exact length of napping time was different among the people.
They do think that inflammation decreases when people nap. “Sleep controls the immune response in your body and napping is considered to be your body’s response to inflammation; people who have higher levels of inflammation also have the urge to nap more,” the researchers said.
