Habitual napping moderates motor performance improvements following a short daytime nap

The effect of napping on motor performance was examined in habitual and non-habitual nappers who were randomly assigned to a nap or reading condition. Motor procedural learning and auditory discrimination tasks were administered pre- and post-condition. Both groups reported improved alertness post-n...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biological psychology 2006-08, Vol.73 (2), p.141-156
Main Authors: Milner, Catherine E., Fogel, Stuart M., Cote, Kimberly A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activity levels. Psychomotricity
Adolescent
Adult
Affect - physiology
Alpha Rhythm
Arousal - physiology
Attention - physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Brain Mapping
Cerebral Cortex - physiology
Circadian Rhythm - physiology
EEG
Electroencephalography
Event-related potentials
Evoked Potentials, Auditory - physiology
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Habits
Humans
Male
Motor performance
Napping
Pitch Discrimination - physiology
Polysomnography
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Psychomotor Performance - physiology
Reaction Time - physiology
Reading
Sleep
Sleep - physiology
Sleep spindles
Theta Rhythm
Vigilance. Attention. Sleep
Wakefulness - physiology
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Summary:The effect of napping on motor performance was examined in habitual and non-habitual nappers who were randomly assigned to a nap or reading condition. Motor procedural learning and auditory discrimination tasks were administered pre- and post-condition. Both groups reported improved alertness post-nap, but not post-reading. Non-habitual nappers fell asleep faster and tended to have greater sleep efficiency, but did not differ from habitual nappers on other sleep architecture variables. Habitual nappers had greater alpha and theta EEG power in stage 1, and greater delta, alpha and sigma power in stage 2 sleep. Motor performance deteriorated for non-habitual nappers who napped, but improved for all others. The number of sleep spindles and sigma power (13.5–15 Hz) significantly predicted motor performance following the nap, for habitual nappers only. Results indicate that motor learning was consolidated in a brief nap and was associated with stage 2 spindles, but only for those who habitually take naps.
ISSN:0301-0511
1873-6246
DOI:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.01.015