Healthy living
Mind matters
Daytime naps can boost your memory
Taking a short sleep in the middle of the day can actually sharpen your mental powers, according to a new US study published in the journal Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
Researchers at the City University of New York have shown, for the first time, that having a brief daytime nap can help people remember things, and boost their productivity.
Healthy volunteers were asked to memorise pairs of related words, such as 'clock' and 'hands', and then asked to recall them straight afterwards, and six hours later. </p>Those who had been allowed to doze for up to an hour before the retest achieved 15 per cent higher scores than those who had not been allowed to go to sleep.<p>One theory is that light sleeping, or non-REM sleep, plays an important role in memorising. This period of light slumber without dreams, which usually lasts up to two hours after we fall asleep, is a time when memories can be stored for easy retrieval.
So far, however, it is not clear whether the memory-boosting benefits of napping are long lasting.
How else can you boost your memory?</h1><li>Exercising for half an hour at least twice a week during midlife can significantly cut a person's risk of dementia later, say Swedish researchers. People in their late 40s and early 50s who do this could reduce their risk of dementia by about 50%, according to a study reported in Lancet Neurology.Getting a good nights sleep changes in the brain that help to improve memory, according to study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre
Exercise your brain. Brainteasers, crossword puzzles and memory exercises, which emphasize verbal skills, can help to keep the brain active, according to a 2005 study conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Stick to a healthy diet. Eating five small meals throughout the day prevents dips in blood glucose levels and glucose is the primary energy source for the brain.
Reduce stress levels. Stress causes the body to release cortisol, which plays an important role in memory preservation. Cortisol can impair memory and has been found to shrink the memory centres in the brain.
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Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.