(Dave Yasvinski/ Healthing) — Grabbing a nap in the middle of the day won’t undo the dangers of a restless night, according to a new study that stresses the importance of sustained shuteye on cognitive function.
The research, conducted at Michigan State University’s Sleep and Learning Lab and published in the journal Sleep, was one of the first to explore the restorative potential of shorter daytime slumbers, which is often all people have time for in hectic households across the country.
“In this study, we wanted to know if a short nap during the deprivation period would mitigate these deficits,” said Kimberly Fenn, author of the study, associate professor and director of MSU’s Sleep and Learning Lab. “We found that short naps of 30 or 60 minutes did not show any measurable effects.” (…)