Naps and your brain: take an aft

The Health in Aging Foundation, a nonprofit group founded by the American Geriatrics Society, said in a statement that the difference in mental function between the moderate nappers and all the rest was equivalent to what “a five-year increase in age would be expected to cause” — the latter group’s mental decline was between four and six times greater.

Mental tests in the study included basic math problems as well as exercises in which the seniors were asked to memorize and recall words or copy simple geometric drawings.

Although the researchers focused on people 65 and older in their napping study, because of the necessity of maintaining memory and thinking function into old age, it’s possible the cognitive benefits of napping are similar in other age brackets. Young children already nap, and experts have often suggested the rest for other age groups, like college students, although the most beneficial sleep duration may differ from the elderly group.