A study has found that short naps could be helpful in improving memory. After a short nap, one can be able to retain learned material in memory as per the study. The study conducted by researchers from Saarland University in Germany found that sleep of about 45 to 60 minutes could produce a five-fold improvement in information retrieval.

To conduct the study, the researchers divided participants into two groups: The nap group and the control group. The control group involved participants who watched DVDs when the nap group slept. The study found that the nap group performed better on remembering word pairs during a performance test.

The study focused on the role that hippocampus plays. Hippocampus is the region of brain which consolidates memories. In a news release, Sara Studte, a researcher from the Saarland University, said that during the study the researchers studied a particular type of brain activity, called as ‘sleep spindles’, which plays a crucial role in memory consolidation while sleeping. A sleep spindle is a burst of oscillatory brain activity visible on an EEG.

Dr. Axel Mecklinger, lead researcher of the study, said, “We suspect that certain types of memory content, particularly information that was previously tagged, is preferentially consolidated during this type of brain activity”.

Professor Axel Mecklinger, the supervisor of the study, said that the study has proved that sleep is important for students to have a good rest before they go on to take exam periods. In a press release, the professor said that a short nap at workplace and school could be helpful in improving learning success. People should think about the positive effects of sleep. Even a short sleep could be beneficial, as per Mecklinger.