- Take a nap
Do you think improving your memory is a challenge? On second thought, you can get a better memory by napping.
Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night to stay healthy physically and mentally. Sleep helps consolidate short-term memory and consolidate long-term memory. After sleep, people tend to improve their memory of information and perform better on memory tests. Skipping the recommended sleep time, however, interferes with the brain’s ability to form new memories.
Sleep may be a hassle-free way to improve long-term memory of information. Participants in one study who slept during their studies could recall between 10 and 16 words on a memory test, while those who did not sleep could recall only 7.5 words on average.
Other studies have found that among adults 65 and older, taking an hour-long nap performed better on cognitive tests than those who didn’t.
Those who took shorter or longer naps, or those who didn’t nap at all, experienced an intellectual decline equivalent to the expected 5-year-old gain.
