A sleepless night can leave your brain feeling foggy, but a Canadian study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that either a short workout or nap may help protect your memory.
Lack of sleep can impair the brain’s ability to form new episodic memories, which are important for thinking, planning, and decision-making.
The study involved 54 healthy young adults who stayed awake for 30 hours under laboratory supervision. They were then assigned to a 20-minute cycling session, a 90-minute nap, or a rest period. Participants then viewed images and rated their emotional intensity, helping researchers confirm they remained alert.
Three days later, they saw the original images mixed with new ones and had to identify those they had seen during the first session.
Researchers found that people who exercised or took a nap performed about 22 per cent better on memory tests than those who did neither.
However, the brain appeared to benefit from the two strategies in different ways.
Napping appeared to help the brain recharge, making it better prepared to absorb and store new information. Exercise, meanwhile, seemed to help the brain use its remaining resources more efficiently without leaving participants more tired.
The findings could be particularly useful in jobs where long hours and sleep loss are common and mistakes can have serious consequences, such as health care, transportation, and emergency services.
“Sleep loss affects nearly every aspect of how we think and function, but many people can't simply stop what they're doing and get more sleep,” said the study’s senior author. “Our findings show that even a brief bout of exercise may help preserve one of our most important cognitive abilities.”
