A team of researchers found that 20 minutes of exercise can help improve memory after sleep deprivation, with an effectiveness approaching that of a 90-minute nap.
Researchers from McGill University in Canada conducted a study involving 54 healthy young men and women, keeping them awake for 30 consecutive hours in laboratory conditions, to simulate the effects of severe sleep deprivation.
The researchers divided the participants into three groups. The first group exercised on a stationary bike for 20 minutes at a moderate to high intensity, while the second group took a 90-minute nap. The third group sat on a stationary bike for the same duration without pedaling, serving as the control group.
The researchers then showed the participants a series of images without telling them they had to memorize them. Three days later, everyone underwent a test to measure their ability to recall and recognize the images.
The results showed that participants who exercised or took a nap performed better on memory tests compared to the control group. Image recognition improved by 23% in the napping group and by 21% in the exercise group, but the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant.
The researchers did not stop at measuring the participants’ performance, but also recorded brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG), which revealed that the improvement in memory did not occur in the same way in the two groups.
The nap helped reduce what is known as "sleep pressure," the increased need for sleep felt after staying awake for a long time. Brain markers associated with fatigue also decreased, and the greater the decrease, the better the participants' ability to recall images.
Exercise, however, did not reduce fatigue markers in the same way. Fatigue levels remained high among participants who exercised, similar to the group that did not engage in any activity.
However, exercise was linked to a different type of neural activity, related to the brain's efficiency in processing visual information while viewing images. This suggests that exercise did not make participants less tired, but it may have helped their brains process information more efficiently despite the continued feeling of fatigue.
These findings are consistent with a 2023 study at the University of Portsmouth, which found that 20 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling can improve cognitive performance in people who have experienced partial or total sleep deprivation, even in conditions where oxygen levels are low.
Mark Roig, lead author of the study and a sports scientist at McGill University's School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, said that sleep deprivation affects many aspects of thinking and performance, but many people simply cannot stop working to get more sleep.
He added that the study's results indicate that exercising for a short period may help maintain an important cognitive ability.
This option is particularly important for people who find it difficult to take a nap while working, such as nurses, pilots, night shift workers, and new parents.
Madhura Lutlikar, a neuroscientist and the study's lead author, said that exercise is accessible, inexpensive, and easy to do, making it a promising way to help people maintain their cognitive abilities when sleep is lacking.
Despite these findings, the study does not suggest that exercise or napping can permanently replace adequate sleep. The researchers believe that both options may be temporarily helpful in managing the effects of a single day of sleep deprivation, but they do not represent a long-term solution for chronic sleep deprivation.
It is estimated that around 20 to 40% of adults worldwide do not get enough sleep.
Therefore, if someone finds themselves facing a long day after only four hours of sleep, a nap might be the best option if time allows. If that's not possible, 20 minutes of exercise, such as brisk walking or cycling, can provide a boost to the brain and help maintain memory, even if fatigue persists.
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