Don’t be afraid to catch a nap! New study shows quality shut-eye time can improve cognitive abilities & productivity

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

sleep deprivation can take a toll on our mental as well as physical health. There are several studies that have emphasised the importance of sleeping at least seven hours a day. However, recent research has found that when it comes to nap time, quality trumps quantity. A study published in the Journal Of Neuroscience explored how sleep ( or lack of it) affected cognitive functions. The study concluded that people who sleep less than six hours at night but do not experience daytime drowsiness exhibited large regional brain volumes in comparison to those who sleep seven to eight hours or report sleep issues. “If you find your sleep pattern to be good for you, then I think that's all right," told Dr. Elliott Lee, a sleep specialist at The Royal, Ottawa's mental health center to CBC News. However, some said that more sleep, especially daytime napping can improve cognitive skills, thereby helping people grasp abstract concepts faster. “People can practice learning a new skill all day, and then they take a nap and they get way better. So there is something about sleep that helps consolidate and organize the brain," told Dr Brian Murray, the head of neurology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences in Toronto to the news outlet. However, don't give up on sleep. Here are a few reasons why you should prioritise getting more shut-eye time.

Several studies have shown that lack of sleep can lead to the generation of more ghrelins and reduce levels of leptin. Ghrelin is a hormone that makes us feel ravenous while leptin makes us feel full. So lack of sleep may lead to overeating. Chronic overeating is directly linked to obesity and rise in blood sugar levels.

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