[color=DarkOrangNaps may boost memory
If you want to remember the information in this article, take a nap.
New research conducted by brain researcher Avi Karni of the University of Haifa in Israel explores the possibility that naps help lock in sometimes fleeting long-term memories. A 90-minute daytime snooze might help the most, the study finds.
"We still don't know the exact mechanism of the memory process that occurs during sleep, but the results of this research suggest it is possible to speed up memory consolidation," Karni said.
Long-term memory refers to memories that stay with us for years, such as "what" memories — a car accident that happened yesterday — or "how to" memories, such as one's learned ability to play the drums.
Karni, who co-authored the study in a recent issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience, instructed participants to learn a complex thumb-tapping sequence, then split the study subjects into two groups: one that napped for an hour, and one that didn't. The people who took an afternoon snooze showed sizeable improvement in their performance by that evening.
"After a night's sleep the two groups were at the same level, but the group that slept in the afternoon improved much faster than the group that stayed awake," Karni said.
And the study also showed just how much faster a 90-minute nap could help lock in long-term memories.
"Daytime sleep can shorten the time 'how to' memory becomes immune to interference and forgetting," Karni said. "Instead of 6 to 8 hours, the brain consolidated the memory during the 90-minute nap."
(Agencies)
如果你想记住这篇文章的内容,那就先打个盹儿吧。
以色列海法大学脑部研究专家阿维•卡尼针开展的一项最新研究探讨了白天小睡有助于巩固长期记忆的可能性问题。研究发现,白天小睡90分钟对巩固记忆最有效。
卡尼说:“目前,我们还不清楚睡眠过程中记忆加工的具体机制,但研究结果表明白天小睡能够加速记忆的巩固。”
长期记忆指的是能够保存多年的记忆,比如“陈述性记忆”,记住昨天发生的一场车祸就属于“陈述性记忆”,以及“程序性记忆”,比如学会如何打鼓。
由卡尼等几名研究人员共同撰写的研究报告在最新一期《自然神经学》期刊上发表。在该研究中,卡尼首先教研究对象学一套复杂的拇指操,然后将他们分为两组:一组小睡一小时,另一组不睡。结果发现,午睡小组在当晚的表现有明显的进步。
卡尼说:“而在经过一夜的睡眠之后,两组研究对象的水平相当,但午睡小组要比未午睡小组的进步快得多。”
此外,研究还发现了90分钟的午睡能使记忆巩固的过程提速多长时间。
卡尼说:“午睡能够使‘程序性记忆’在较短时间内克服干扰及遗忘。不用睡六至八个小时,只需90分钟,大脑就可巩固记忆。”
(news from Chinadaily)
办公一族不要因为午休时间短,而趴在办公桌上睡或者不睡哦~
健康提醒早知道:
经常趴在桌子上睡觉会在无形中对健康造成伤害:
一、影响呼吸。由于趴着睡觉的姿势使身体弯曲度增加,导致呼吸不通畅,体内氧气供应自然会不充足。压迫胸部的姿势还会诱发各种心脏疾病。
二、趴睡的姿势会压到眼球,眼睛容易充血,造成眼压升高,往往醒后会出现暂时性的视力模糊,尤其是高度近视的人更要注意。
三、入睡后人的心率会逐渐减慢,流经各组织的血液速度也相对变慢,流入大脑的血液会比平时减少。午饭后较多的血液要进入胃肠道,帮助消化,趴睡会加重脑部的缺血,最终导致头晕、耳鸣、腿软脚麻等症状。
四、如头部长时间枕在手臂上时,手臂的血液循环受阻,神经传导受影响,极易出现手臂麻木、酸疼等症状。
五、影响消化,一般人中午饭都吃得较多,而消化掉这些食物大约需要3个小时左右。吃完午饭就趴在桌上睡午觉,容易造成胃部的胀气。
六、趴在桌子上睡的情况一般都没添衣,而人在睡熟之后,全身基础代谢减慢,体温调节功能亦随之下降,导致机体抵抗力降低,全身毛孔都处于张开状态。如果不注意保暖,醒来后,往往会出现鼻塞、头晕等症状。 |