We’ve already learned that taking a 20-ish minute power nap boosts our productivity and evening workouts. Now, the University of Bristol and the Medical Research Council just released a new study that adds on to this fact: Daytime naps help you process unconscious information and can lead to a clearer mind when having to make a tough decision.
“The findings further reveal the benefits of a short bout of sleep on cognitive brain function and found that even during short bouts of sleep we process information that we are not consciously aware of,” Meet RW+ Members.
For the study, researchers had 16 individuals do a task where they responded when they saw a red or blue square on a screen. Afterward, one group stayed awake while the other took a 90-minute nap before doing the tasks again.
The researches then used an EEG (an electroencephalography test—say that 10 times fast) to record the activity in the participants’ brains before and after the nap. The result? Those who slept showed improved speed when it came to processing subconscious information.
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Long story short, the information you have to take in during the day is processed in a more effective way when you sleep, and also helps you make more formative decisions when you wake up.
So whether it’s for a few minutes on your work break or after your long weekend trail run, try resting your eyes or sleeping for a few minutes, then see what happens.
From: Bicycling US
