A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that exercise and napping may provide similar benefits for preserving memory after severe sleep deprivation.
Participants remained awake for 30 consecutive hours before being assigned to one of three groups: exercise, nap or control.
Researchers noted that sleep loss can impair the brain’s ability to form new episodic memories. Episodic memory is a type of long-term memory that allows people to recall specific personal experiences, including when and where they occurred.
The study compared the effects of a 20-minute aerobic workout and a 90-minute nap following sleep deprivation. Researchers found that both interventions helped preserve episodic memory compared with the control group.
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Participants in the exercise group performed 21% better on memory tests than the control group, while those in the nap group performed 23% better.
Although both approaches produced similar results, researchers found they worked through different brain mechanisms. Napping reduced sleep pressure and created a brain state more conducive to learning, while exercise appeared to promote more efficient memory processing.
Researchers said the findings could have implications for workers in safety-sensitive industries, including health care, transportation, mining and shift work, where sleep loss is common. They noted that preserving brain health and cognitive performance is especially important in environments where traditional sleep recommendations may not be practical.
