The Doctors share the findings of a new study which says daytime naps could actually lead to false memories. The study out of Lancaster University looked at 60 students, 17 male and 43 female, and split them into two test groups. One group napped for, on average, an hour and forty-five minutes and the other stayed awake all day. They were all given a word test before and after the nap and asked to recall words from the original list. Those who took a nap were significantly more likely to say they saw words when they actually didn't.
The test nappers were convinced they were right but those memories aren't real! The Doctors share stories of times this has happened in their own lives. OB/GYN Dr. Nita Landry says she used to study in her sleep and then think that information was correct when it wasn't!
The key is to take a 20-30 minutes nap, not a longer one where you enter into REM sleep. And as for studying, don't pull all-nighters! Sleeping overnight actually solidifies your memories, so getting a good night sleep will help you better remember what you learned.