Short naps boost memory: Study

London, Feb 21 : A 5-minute short nap not only refreshes the brain but also boosts memory, says a new study. A German team led by Dr Olaf Lahl, from the University of Dusseldorf has found that short naps help your recalling power.

During the study, students were asked to memorise a list of words. Some of the students were asked to recall it after an hour of playing solitaire while some were allowed to have a five-minute nap. They found that students who were allowed a five-minute nap were able to recall more words.

"It seems that much more is happening during the initialisation of sleep than we once thought," Telegraph quoted Dr Lahl, as telling New Scientist magazine. "Maybe much of sleep's functional aspects are accomplished at its very beginning," he added.

Dr Robert Stickgold, from Harvard University in Massachusetts said that just before sleep, the brain 'replays' recent events, producing dreamlike sensations and 'crazy' thoughts.

"It's as if the brain is sifting through new material to figure out what to work with," he said. He believes that this small period of "thought marshalling" plays a vital role in recalling events.

ANI