The nervous system is no doubt one of the most important systems in the body. While the body, of course, needs all its systems to function, the nervous system plays a crucial role in sustaining life, and controlling every other system of the body. It is made up of the central nervous system, consisting of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system, consisting of various nerves that reach to regions of the body. While this system is in control of the entire body, there are plenty of efforts individuals should make regarding their health to facilitate the brain in functioning as well as possible.

While diet, reading, brain exercises, and a good night’s rest all contribute to brain health and function (Wenk, 2012), recent research shows that a cat nap can contribute to right brain activity. The right side of the brain is associated with “big picture” thinking and creativity, while the left side of the brain controls more analytical thought processes, as well as number and language processing (Gardner, 2012). Researchers recently found that after a quick “power nap” or “cat nap” the right hemisphere of the brain in the study subjects chattered busily, while the left hemisphere was mostly still. Researchers conducted the study by monitoring the brain activity of 15 at-rest individuals. The study observations lead neuroscientists to believe that short, restful periods of sleep increase cognitive ability.

While the brain and its functions are largely still a mystery, studies such as these help contribute to our overall understanding of how the brain works. Specifically, this study helps contribute to better understanding of left and right brain functions; how they work individually, as well as how they communicate with each other. Furthermore, this study contributes to a better understanding of how sleep affects brain function. As the effects of sleep are discovered, they can be used intentionally to contribute to overall brain health and function. In the future, perhaps this study could be replicated to include a larger sample size. While finding a statistically significant relationship between sleep and brain function in 15 participants is note-worthy, a more large-scale study would help increase validity of the findings.

Gardner, Amanda. “’Power Naps’ May Boost Right Brain Activity” CNN 17 October, 2012. Retrieved from: http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/17/health/health-naps-brain/index.html

Wenk, Gary. “Your Brain On Food.” Psychology Today, 14 May 2012. Retrieved from: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-brai