A Workout or Nap May Protect Your Memory After Poor Sleep, Study Finds

📰 The Story

We all know sleep deprivation leaves the brain foggy and slow. But a new study from McGill University suggests a surprising fix. After keeping 54 volunteers awake for 30 hours, researchers found that a short 20-minute workout — or a 90-minute nap — helped them retain information and boost memory scores by about 22%. A nap seemed to restore the tired brain, while exercise kept it alert and used its remaining cognitive energy without adding fatigue. Neither can fully offset lost sleep, the team warns — but when adequate rest isn’t possible, movement is a cheap, accessible way to protect the mind.