You may feel guilty for taking a short nap sometimes, but research indicates that naps may actually help improve your memory.
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. They also did better than those who were directed to another quiet activity instead of napping.
Why is this so? Scientists believe that while napping, the part of the brain called the hippocampus is reassigning the information within one’s brain. So when the patient awakes, their thoughts and remembrances of the activity are 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 affects how one performs on tasks from the previous day.