Nap Time: Not Just for Kindergarten Kids
If there's one thing I love, but don't get to indulge in very often, is a good nap. Now I feel vindicated for my love of the short power nap, because several studies have proven that short naps can improve memory. Quoted in The Daily Collegian, Penn state psychology professor Frederick Brown stated that napping ". . . [C]onsolidates your memory for efficient recall." In other words, studying first and then napping will allow you to recall information you just learned far more efficiently than you would by skipping the nap.
A group of Israeli researchers reached the same conclusion in a study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience found that participants in a study who learned material in a 90-minute session, then napped before engaging in a second 90-minute learning session showed markedly better retention the next morning after the sessions than those who skipped the nap.
Love coffee and napping? Well, you may be on to the most efficient study method ever devised! (Or at least one that covers both vices.) It seems counterintuitive, but it takes about 20-30 minutes for caffeine's wide-awake effect kicks in. If you down your cup of coffee, then have a short power nap, you'll wake up rested and primed to take on even more study, reports Helen Ensellem, author of "Snooze or Lose! Ten 'No War' Ways to Improve Your Teen's Sleep Habits." She also recommends setting an alarm if you can't trust yourself to wake after this short of a nap. Too long naps make for grogginess, which will most definitely not enhance your study session. Ensellem says that if you find you need to nap too often, you should ask yourself if you are getting enough sleep at night.
I always found if I was studying hard for a test that I retained more information if I took the time for a short nap. This was particularly true if I was studying a subject where you need to retain a lot of factual information rather than a test that requires you to analyze information (say chemistry vs. English.) I really found a short nap helpful if I napped between studying for different courses. It just seemed to lock the information in better than if I had not napped at all.
So let's hear it for nap time! Of course, those of you with little kids will find it hard to pull off study power naps, because if the kids are napping, that's when you can actually get something done. But if you can, I highly recommend it.
Anyone else a fan of the study power nap?
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Very nice great article thank you…
Stress is a key factor in memory loss. We can’t focus if we are too stressed. That’s why a power nap or even a regular sleep can help lessen it. Thus, improving our memory.
I am looking for info on powernaps and competitive sport. Is a powernap effective during a full day tournament? Just to doze off in the middle of the day between two games of tennis or to take a quick nap waiting for the next round of whichever sport your doing. I see my athletes catching up on sleep after a night out. I like that. But my fellow coaches do not share my opinion. They say that sleeping short before sport will ruin your concentration. I’m wondering what your thoughts are on this. On the subject of napping and studying i’ve found some interesting tips on studysuccessful.com. The URL is: studysuccessful.com/how-to-powernap/
I had to read this post twice, because it was interesting. I read some of your other posts you do make some good points
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