Brief sleep may boost memory

This news item was added on 25th February 2008

German scientists have found that a brief sleep of just six minutes can help to improve memory processing.

Researchers at the University of Dusseldorf carried out a study involving students, all of whom were asked to remember a set of words before being tested an hour later.

Some of the students were allowed to sleep for around six minutes during the hour, while the others remained awake.

The researchers found that those students who had enjoyed a brief sleep performed better in the subsequent memory test, suggesting that falling asleep for even a short time can be beneficial.

The researchers told New Scientist magazine: "To our knowledge, this demonstrates for the first time that an ultra-brief sleep episode provides an effective memory enhancement."

The experts, led by Dr Olaf Lahl, suggest that the initial process of falling asleep may be important for memory function.