A lot of people who have a sleepless night hope they can find time for a nap the next day to make up for it. But a new study in the journal Sleep shows that that doesn’t work. Scientists say 30-to-60 minute naps have no effect on relieving sleep deprivation… but it might reduce the number of errors you make. If a daytime nap gets you another 10 minutes of what’s called “slow wave sleep,” it can cut your error rate by four percent. That’s not much, but researchers say if you’re a surgeon, police officer or truck driver… even that can save lives.
Loneliness can make you more prone to cognitive decline. A new study in the journal JAMA Network Open finds that people who have someone they can count on to listen to them when they need to talk have brains that age much more slowly than those who have no one to talk to. Scientists say people in their 40’s and 50’s who have no one to talk to have brains that appear to be about four years older than people who have someone who’ll listen to them.
The key to an easier adolescence may be a teen’s relationship with dad. A study in the Journal of Family Psychology finds that a close, supportive relationship with parents helps teens above all else in navigating their lives… and that the bond with fathers is more important than previously imagined. A close relationship with moms is normal, researchers say, but not always with dads. When teens have one, it makes a huge difference.
And finally… social media sites like Facebook and Twitter claim they’re providing a neutral platform for conversations that would otherwise happen elsewhere. But a study in the journal Science Advances shows those platforms alter conversations by encouraging outrage. Scientists say anger is rewarded with more “likes” and “shares,” so over time, people are likely to ramp up angry posts.
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