A daytime nap is good for the brain
Regularly finding time for a little snooze is good for our brain and helps keep it bigger for longer, say University College London researchers.
The team showed nappers' brains were 15 cubic centimetres (0.9 cubic inches) larger - equivalent to delaying ageing by between three and six years.
However, the scientists recommend keeping naps to less than half an hour.
But they said a daytime sleep was hard in many careers, with work culture often frowning on the practice.
It's easy to see how work culture could indeed frown on the practice of taking a nap. Surgeons, bus drivers, airline pilots and dentists should all avoid taking a nap while working.
A more interesting area of research would an investigation of similarities between watching television and taking a nap. For example, watching a BBC piece on climate change may be physiologically similar to falling asleep and dreaming strange and disturbing dreams.
It's only a sample of one, but I find not watching television at all keeps me reasonably alert all day.
4 comments:
I've been up all afternoon trying to perfect my response to this post.
Sam - oh - what day is it? Ah yes - I know I have a reply to that somewhere...
My return home after a lengthy hospitalisation, has meant I have watched some daytime TV, normally I watch very little at any time.
Apart from the endless adverts for cremation plans! the political statements in front of the carefully placed 'diverse' supporters I was also amazed at the non quality of the bulk of tv presenters and supposed informed guests, I genuinely had no idea it was this bad.
Wiggia - it's good to have the dire quality of it confirmed though. I'd probably do the same in your situation - can't read all day. I've seen a few cremation plans and electric wheelchair ads while looking for a watchable daytime film.
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