Taking 40 winks may boost your brain power

HAviNg a nap may help you think more clearly.

in a study at the University of Bristol, volunteers were asked to carry out two tests — one verbal (including a subliminal message) and one visual (involving responding to images on a screen). they then either stayed awake or took a 90minute nap, then repeated the tasks. their brains’ electrical activity revealed sleep improved processing speed and response time in the verbal task — but not in the visual task.

Writing in the Journal of Sleep research, the scientists say this suggests napping may help improve mental processing and that information is processed in some deeper way during sleep.