Cat naps may actually do more for us than just help us catch up on some Z’s! A recent study by Harvard researchers shows that when a person is faced with an activity challenge, then sent to take a quick nap, those who dreamed about the task showed better and quicker recall skills than those who didn’t, or those who were subjected to another quiet activity instead of napping.

It is believed that while napping, the part of the brain called the hippocampus is reassigning the information within one’s brain, and so when the patient awakes, their thoughts and remembrance of the task or activity is clearer and they are more focused on the task given.

Harvard researchers are looking to do a more in-depth study, involving non-rapid eye movement sleep during the night and if that effects how one performs on tasks from the previous day.

Source: http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2010/04/26/dream-a-little-dream-of-recall.html