Nap or Quick Workout? A Doctor Explains the Cognitive Benefits After Sleep Deprivation
The exercise and nap groups both remembered about 21% to 23% more images than the control group, researchers said.
- Researchers found that 20 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous cycling at 80% maximum heart rate aided memory following 30 hours of sleep loss, producing results comparable to a 90-minute nap.
- Prolonged wakefulness causes sleep pressure to build, hindering memory formation as neural processes become less efficient. EEG recordings suggest exercise helps the sleep-deprived brain use cognitive resources more efficiently.
- In the study, participants who exercised correctly recognized 56% of 150 images, compared with 57% among those who napped and 46% in the control group.
- CNN wellness expert Leana Wen, an emergency physician at George Washington University, advises that sleep remains the priority, though a short bout of aerobic exercise can be useful before learning tasks when a nap is impossible.
- Experts emphasize that a 20-minute workout cannot replace the restorative functions of sleep and does not make performing dangerous tasks safe while severely sleep-deprived.
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Lack of sleep makes it difficult to concentrate and learn new information. In addition, for those who work at night or go through occasional periods of severe sleeplessness, it is not always possible to rest enough at the time of...
Nap or quick workout? A doctor explains the cognitive benefits after sleep deprivation
(CNN) — Going without sleep makes it harder to concentrate and learn new information. And for people who work overnight or face an occasional period of severe sleep loss, getting enough rest may not always be possible in the moment.
A night of just four hours of sleep can make the next day particularly demanding, affecting concentration and memory, among other things. But when there is no time for a short nap, what can you do to help your brain? A new study shows that 20 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise can offer similar memory benefits as a nap.
Staying up all night and need to function? A new study has shown that 20 minutes of exercise can boost memory almost as much as 90 minutes of sleep.
Nap or Quick Workout? New Study Finds Both Equally Boost Memory After Sleep Deprivation, Doctor Explains
A study found 20 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise offered memory benefits comparable to a 90-minute nap after sleep deprivation, but researchers stressed that exercise cannot replace sleep.
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