Studies have shown that a good night's rest helps us stay healthy. Researchers say sleep is probably the best tool we have for memory and learning.
"Getting a good night's sleep is important for the learning and memory process. It's important because it stores (储存) the training and learning exercises into our memory forever while we're sleeping 7-8 hours in bed. And then the next morning when we wake up our mind is better prepared to act on that information," Twery, an expert on the science of sleep and sleep disorders (失眠) said.
But what about getting rest during the middle of the day? Past studies have shown that napping can help babies and young children learn better. In fact, napping can help older adults with their brain performance and may also help this group of people fight off age-related (年龄相关) memory loss.
The researchers studied 3,000 people and found that those who took an hour-long nap did much better on mental (智力的) tests. The hour-long nappers also did better on the tests than those who napped for shorter and longer periods. But researchers note that these findings are for those over 65, and for young, healthy adults, an hour-long nap may be too long.
"At present, we're suggesting that we try to nap for about 30 minutes or less. 30 minutes is enough to remove (消除) the pressure and will help us feel more awake. If we nap longer, we will get trapped into (陷入) the deep sleep, which can be hard to get out of," Twery said. This feeling is called sleep inertia — the period when you awake from a very deep sleep. For a time, you are unable to think clearly.
