According to new research, taking naps after learning new information may actually help increase a baby’s memory.
Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, this report and its eye-opening results are based on tests carried out on six- and 12-month-old babies.
The researchers tested the babies to see how long they would retain memories. Using a puppet with a removable mitten attached to a bell, the researchers carried out a number of actions in front of the babies, before then putting them down for naps of varying lengths.
The study showed that babies who took naps that lasted for more than 30 minutes were more likely to remember how the bell device worked. This was in comparison to babies who napped for shorter periods of time.
Speaking after the publication of the results, study author Sabine Seehagen of Ruhr University in Germany said that it was clear that the actual act of sleeping had helped the babies retain the new piece of information learned.
