A team of researchers has found that getting a nap of no more than 45 minutes in the afternoon helps improve learning abilities by restoring the brain's capacity to acquire new information through the resetting of neural connections. The study, published in the scientific journal NeurolImage, which specializes in neurology, showed that getting a short nap during the afternoon resets the neural connections between brain cells and allows them to store new information. This property does not necessarily require getting a full night's sleep. The idea behind this study, conducted by researchers from the Universities of Freiburg, Germany, and Geneva, Switzerland, is that the brain strengthens connections between cells while processing thoughts, experiences, and observations throughout the day, which enhances the learning mechanism. However, the accumulation of this information reduces the brain's flexibility and makes it less capable of absorbing more experiences. Getting a short midday nap allows the brain to regain its activity and readiness to learn again. Christoph Nissen, director of the sleep research center at the University of Freiburg, said in a statement to the scientific research website 'Scientific Daily': 'These results indicate that periods of sleep, even if they are short, help enhance the brain's ability to absorb new information.' The researcher Kai Spiegelhalder, head of sleep research in the psychiatric department at the University of Freiburg, added: 'This study helps to understand the importance of short sleep periods for mental recovery, as getting a short nap makes you think more clearly and be more capable of working with focus.'