A
60 to 90-minute ‘power nap’ can be as energising as a whole night’s sleep, a
new study suggests.
Scientists
at Harvard University found that volunteers who dozed off for the research
improved their performance in tests by up to as much as those who’d had an
extra eight hours sleep.
However,
improvement only occurred when sleepers had rapid eye movement – a type of
sleep where the eyes flick back and forth behind the lids, which indicates
dreaming.
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Dr
Sara Mednick, head of the study, concluded: "From the perspective of
behavioural improvement, a nap is as good as a night of sleep for
learning."
