Benefits of naps for the brain and learning

Even a short afternoon nap can help the brain recover and improve its learning ability, according to a study published in the journal NeuroImage.

Researchers from the University Medical Center of Freiburg (Germany) and the University of Geneva (Switzerland) have shown that even a nap is enough to rearrange connections between nerve cells, so that new information can be stored more efficiently.

Until now, these effects were only known to occur after a full night of sleep. New study shows that a short period of sleep can relieve the brain and put you back in a state of readiness to learn, a process that could be particularly beneficial for high-workload situations.

“Our results suggest that even short periods of sleep improve the brain’s ability to encode new information,” says Dr. Christoph Nissenleader of the study, who directed it during his time as medical director of the sleep center of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the University Medical Center of Freiburg (Germany). Currently, he is a university professor and chief physician of the Department of Psychiatry at the University and University Hospital of Geneva (HUG).

The brain is constantly active during the day: new impressions, thoughts and information are processed, strengthening connections between neurons. These strengthened synaptic connections constitute a neural basis important for learning processes. However, they also lead to saturation, so the brain’s ability to learn decreases over time.

Sleep helps regulate this excessive activity again, without losing important information. “The study shows that this ‘synaptic reset’ can occur with just an afternoon nap, freeing up space for the formation of new memories,” he says. Nissen.

“The study helps us understand the importance of even short periods of sleep for mental recovery – says Dr. Kai Spiegelhalder, head of the Section for Psychiatric Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University Medical Center Freiburg. A short nap can help you think more clearly and continue working with concentration.”

The study examined 20 healthy young adults who took a nap or stayed awake for two afternoons. The nap lasted an average of 45 minutes. Since direct measurements of synapses are not possible in healthy humans, the research team used established non-invasive methods, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalogram (EEG), to draw conclusions about the strength and flexibility of synapses.

The results showed that, after the nap, the general intensity of the synaptic connections brain was reduced, indicating the restorative effect of sleep. At the same time, the brain’s ability to form new connections improved significantly. Therefore, the brain was better prepared to learn new content than after an equally long period of wakefulness.

The study provides a biological explanation for why people tend to perform better after a nap. Especially in professions or activities that require a high level of mental or physical performance, such as music, sports, or safety-critical areas, a nap could be helpful in maintaining performance. “A nap can maintain performance under high demand,” says Nissen.

However, researchers emphasize that occasional sleep problems do not automatically lead to decreased performance.

In chronic insomnia, in particular, the sleep-wake regulatory systems remain practically intact; rather, worries and unfavorable behaviors predominate during sleep-wake. In these situations, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is more useful than sleeping pills, since the latter can interrupt the brain’s natural recovery processes and cause dependence.