Monday 29 June 2009
Brain Rules ☀
he book follows a simple format - each chapter is a “Brain Rule.” Medina begins by defining what we know about a particular aspect of the brain, and then suggests strategies based on that knowledge that will help our everyday lives. For example, Brain Rule #7 is “Sleep Well, Think Well.” Medina describes findings on the deleterious effects of sleep deprivation (30% drop in cognitive ability from losing one night’s sleep), the real differences between morning people (”larks”) and night people (”owls”), the biological basis for the siesta, and more. He presents the findings of one study that showed problem-solving ability was tripled by an eight-hour sleep when subjects were tested twelve hours after they were given instruction on the problem. Recommendations include napping as needed, particularly in the afternoon “nap zone” when many of us feel sleepy. NASA tests showed that a 26 minute nap improved pilot performance by a third, while a 45-minute nap boosted cognitive performance by a similar amount.
