Weekly Blog

Sept 4

We all know the feeling of trying to operate on short sleep. Whether it was caused by a child's nightmare, seemingly endless overtime, travel starting well before sunrise, or swirling thoughts demanding more time to sort out the day's stresses before nodding off, the telltale signs of poor sleep are the same: a brain that isn't as fast or sharp as it should be and a body that feels like it's dragging. While we know what we really need is rest - the kind of sleep that lets us sink deep into recovery mode - when we're in the thick of it, we also know it's never quite that simple. The good news is that despite notable changes in the brain's ability to function - and therefore all the risks associated with not being sharp - the long term negative health effects of acute sleep deprivation (1-2 days) appear minimal. The other edge of this particular sword, however, is that a few days can easily be the slippery slope to chronic sleep deprivation, where the negative health effects pile up quickly as reviewed here and discussed last week. 

In moments like these, it might seem like our only option is to settle for an incomplete solution, like loading up on caffeine to push through the day. However, new research suggests we may have better options. Two approaches proved equally effective in a small group study where participants were kept awake in a lab for 30 hours and then tested on memory and recall three days later.

Let's start with the obvious one: taking a nap was effective. One subgroup was randomly assigned to sleep for 90 minutes before participating in the learning task. Not surprisingly, they significantly outperformed the control group. Less intuitively, however, a second group that performed 20 minutes of moderate physical activity before the learning task also significantly outperformed the control group. Even less intuitively, the physical activity group experienced about the same benefit as the napping group. When the research team studied the participants' brain scans (EEG), they found each intervention tapped a different, but equally effective pathway.

According to a summary of the study released by McGill University, "Napping appeared to help the brain recharge, making it easier to take in and remember new information. Exercise, by contrast, helped the brain use its remaining resources more efficiently, without making participants feel more tired."

While it'd be ideal if we never needed this tactic, we know that our clients are often required to closely manage personal energy stores. And since a short walk might be far easier to implement than an extended nap when trying to get through a long day, 20 minutes of MOVE as a countermeasure is worth knowing.

Have a great weekend,

Mike E.