The benefits of taking a nap

Science proves over and over again that taking a nap after eating has powerful physical and mental health benefits. Experts agree that it's enough to take a 15-20 minute nap. Napping also promotes weight reduction by balancing the action of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates the desire to eat, and leptin that counteracts its action.

Dr. Matthew Walker of the University of Berkeley conducted an experiment with 39 volunteers that showed that those who took a 90-minute nap were able to solve problems and memory tests more quickly and with a higher success rate than those who stayed up all afternoon. Walker argues that sleep allows newly acquired information to be transferred from one region of the brain, the hippocampus, to the prefrontal cortex where it's stored over the long term.

The doctor's work proves that taking a nap of between 20 and 40 minutes after lunch stimulates the manufacture of proteins that repair the damage caused by stress and toxic substances, and also prevents premature aging by activating the production of growth hormone, stimulating cell renewal.

The nap is especially important in children between 3 and 5 years old, those who sleep at least an hour after eating consolidates better the learning in the morning. No one can stay awake for too many hours in a row, the team of the scientist Giulio Tononi tried to keep a group of rats in permanent vigil by constantly showing them illuminated objects.

What happened was that after some time the brain was able to stay vigilant but there were groups of neurons that were becoming disconnected, falling into a kind of lethargic state. The more sleep deprivation spread, the more mistakes these animals made.