🧠 Napping improves the brain's learning capacity

A sleep break can help the brain regenerate and improve its learning capacity. This is the conclusion of a study conducted by Freiburg University Hospital (Germany), Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) and the University of Geneva (UNIGE).

Scientists demonstrate that a brief sleep onset helps reorganize neural connections, facilitating the encoding of new information. Until now, these benefits had only been observed after a full night's sleep. A study to be discovered in the journal NeuroImage.


"Our results show that even a short sleep phase can place the brain in a state conducive to learning and memorization," explains the head of the study, Professor Christoph Nissen, Head Physician of the HUG Department of Psychiatric Specialties and Full Professor in the UNIGE Department of Psychiatry. He conducted this study during his term as Medical Director of the Sleep Center at the University Hospital of Freiburg's Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy.

Brain activity during a nap

The brain is constantly active during the day. New impressions, thoughts, and information are processed, which strengthens the connections between neurons (synapses), forming an important neural basis for learning. However, this leads to saturation, which over time reduces the brain's ability to encode new information. Sleep helps regulate this excessive activity without losing important information.

"The study shows that this 'synaptic reset' already occurs after a nap and that new information can then potentially be stored better," explains Professor Christoph Nissen. "This study helps us understand the importance of short sleep phases for mental recovery," continues Professor Kai Spiegelhalder, Head of the Section for Psychiatric Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine at the University Hospital of Freiburg's Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. "A short sleep can help regain mental clarity and stay focused," he adds.

Study methodology

Twenty healthy young adults participated in the study. On two separate afternoons, the same participants took a nap during one of the sessions and stayed awake during the other. The nap lasted an average of 45 minutes. Since it is not recommended to measure synapses directly in healthy individuals, the research team used non-invasive methods, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalogram (EEG), to infer the strength and flexibility of synapses.

The results showed that overall synaptic strength in the brain was reduced after the nap, indicating the restorative effect of sleep. At the same time, the brain's ability to form new connections was significantly improved. After a nap, the brain was therefore better prepared to encode new information than if it had remained awake for an equivalent period.

Applications in daily life and perspectives

The study provides a biological explanation for the observation that people are often more productive after a nap. It could be particularly useful in professions or activities that require high mental or physical performance capacity, such as music, sports, or safety-critical fields. A short nap could be recommended there to maintain efficiency. "A nap can help maintain performance, even under high workload," explains Professor Christoph Nissen.

The scientists emphasize that this study should not lead to the conclusion that occasional sleep problems automatically lead to a drop in performance. Particularly in the case of chronic insomnia, the sleep and wake regulation systems are largely intact. It is rather the worries generated by the fear of staying awake that are problematic. In such cases, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is more appropriate than sleeping pills, as the latter disrupt the brain's natural recovery processes and can lead to dependence.