Daily Nap Helps Long-term Memory

A ninety-minute daily nap speeds up the consolidation of long-term memory, according to a study of Mary Korman and his team at the University of Haifa, which is published in the latest issue of Nature Neuroscience.

The long-term memory, defined as one that does not subside or disappear after a long time can be of two types, the memory of “what” (what happened yesterday) and the memory of “how” (how to drive).

The study, conducted in conjunction with the Sleep Laboratory Sheba Medical Center and University of Montreal (Canada), was conducted in two groups of participants who repeat a sequence was made with the thumb and finger hand. Through this exercise, the ability of the “how” of memory, depending on the speed and correctness with which they perform the movements. While one group remained awake, the other slept half an hour nap.

The group that slept showed a clear improvement in the performance of their homework in the afternoon compared to those who had not slept. However, after a full night’s sleep, both groups gave the same results.

A second study shows that if a person tries to make a new year in the six to eight hours after the execution thereof may have learning problems downstream. Thus, the absence of consolidation of the learning period, and trying to learn a new exercise, the first to be forgotten. People taking a nap between a year and another the next morning still remembered them.