Taking an afternoon nap could be good for the brain, a new study suggests.
The study, published in General Pschiatry, looked at results of cognitive tests in people who regularly took an afternoon nap and those who didn’t. They specifically studied more than 2,200 people in China who were 60 or older.
Both the nappers and the non-nappers took cognitive tests which assess “visual space, memory, naming, attention, calculation, abstract, orientation and language function,” according to the study’s authors.(thedenverchannel.com)
A new observational study is building on an increasing body of data finding a correlation between afternoon naps and improved mental agility and cognitive function. The research hypothesizes afternoon naps may help moderate age-related neuroinflammation, helping keep the brain healthy.
“In this study, three major findings were presented,” the researchers write in the study. “First, the elderly individuals who took afternoon naps showed significantly higher cognitive performance compared with those who did not nap. Second, higher levels of TG [triglycerides] were found in napping elderly individuals. Finally, afternoon napping was strongly associated with orientation, language function and memory.”(newatlas.com)