A SHORT afternoon nap can boost memory, mood and alertness for at least four hours, a study found.
Researchers studied 32 young adults for mood and alertness after four different sleep patterns.
Researchers found that naps no matter the length are better than staying awakeGetty
All naps from ten to 60 minutes were more beneficial than staying awake.
But the Singapore study found that a 30-minute nap had “the best trade-off between practicality and benefit”.
The National University of Singapore’s Dr Ruth Leong said: “Following their usual amount of sleep at night, 32 young adults underwent four experimental conditions: wake, a 10-minutes nap, a 30-minutes nap, and a 60-minutes nap on separate days.
“Mood, subjective sleepiness, cognitive performance were measured at intervals of five, 30, 60 and 240 minutes after waking in order to compare how sustained the respective nap benefits were.
“The effect of these nap lengths on memory encoding was also examined.
“Compared to staying awake, all nap durations ranging from 10 to 60 minutes had clear benefits.
“A boost for positive mood, subjective sleepiness, and alertness lasted up to 240 minutes post-nap, suggesting that even a short 10 minutes can act as a refresh.”