A Short Workout or Nap May Protect Memory After a Sleepless Night

After a sleepless night, a 20-minute workout or a 90-minute nap may help protect memory.

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A McGill University-led study suggests that a short workout or a longer nap can help protect memory after severe short-term sleep loss. The study involved 54 healthy young adults who stayed awake for 30 hours under controlled conditions. Participants then either completed 20 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous cycling, took a 90-minute nap, or rested without exercising. Both the exercise and nap groups performed about 22 percent better on a later memory test than the control group. Brain recordings suggested that the two approaches may help in different ways. Napping appeared to support the brains ability to take in and retain new information, while exercise appeared to help the sleep-deprived brain use its remaining resources more efficiently. The result is interesting because a nap is not always practical during a demanding day, while a brief workout can be easier to fit into a schedule. The study does not mean exercise can replace normal sleep, and it examined a specific group of young healthy adults under controlled laboratory conditions. The findings are best viewed as evidence that brief interventions may offer some temporary memory protection when substantial sleep loss cannot immediately be avoided.

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