A study done by researchers from Michigan State University shows that taking a 30-60 minute nap during the day will not reverse damage caused by a sleepless night.
The importance of slow-wave sleep (SWS)
According to Kimberly Fenn, one of the researchers and a director of MSU’s sleep and learning lab, the researchers were focused on explaining the cognitive deficits that come with sleep deprivation. The results showed that short naps didn’t have any effect after a night of sleep deprivation. However, they also found that slow-wave sleep (SWS) during the short naps help participants reduce impairments caused by a lack of sleep.
SWS is the most rejuvenating and deepest form of sleep a person can get. During SWS, scientists can spot brain waves that are low in frequency and high in amplitude from people. They also observe that people are physically relaxed, and their heart rates are at their slowest.
SWS is the most vital stage of sleep. When people fall asleep, they soon enter the SWS stage, where they spend most of their sleep.
How researchers conducted the study
For the study, researchers gathered 275 young adults who were given a few cognitive tests before being split into three groups. The researchers made the first group got to sleep as they would typically. The second stayed up and took a 30 or 60-minute nap, while the researchers did not give the third group a chance to nap.
The next day, the volunteers were asked to repeat the cognitive tasks from the previous day. The tests looked at their attention and place-keeping. Place-keeping is their ability to finish a set of instructions in their particular order without making mistakes even after they’ve been interrupted.
Results showed that the group that took naps suffered from sleep deprivation and made more mistakes than those who had had a whole night’s sleep. It also showed that for every increase in SWS by 10 minutes, errors reduced by 4%. The researchers concluded that no nap could reverse the damage from lack of sleep.
Even though 4% was a low figure, the researchers noted that it could make a big difference for doctors, truck drivers, police and other sleep-deprived workers.
