Effect of Nap Behaviour on Neurocognitive Functions among Indian Medical Undergraduates: A Preliminary Report

The understanding of the relationship between napping and cognitive performances among Indian medical undergraduates is not fully elucidated. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the effect of napping behavior on neurocognitive performances. Also, to explore the causes behind the napping behavior and its effect on sleep quality and overall well-being among Indian medical undergraduates. A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out at tertiary care at the Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda with a comparison group including a total of ninety-eight (98) right-handed Indian medical undergraduates with and without napping behavior using the Napping Behaviour Questionnaire. Other neuropsychological assessments include the Simple Motor Reaction Time; the Daytime Feelings and Functioning Scale; the Mental Fatigue Scale; Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; WHO-5 Well-Being Index. All the above measurements were carried out in the morning session between 9:00 am-11:00 am but Simple Motor Reaction Time (SMRT) was carried out twice i.e., the morning hours (9:00-11:00 am) and the evening hours (9:00-11:00 pm) to assess and compare the cognitive performance during these timings. From the present study, the nappers showed a significant (p<0.05) decrease in the evening hours reaction time compared to morning hours. Importantly, it was observed that as the duration of napping increased, the sleep quality statistically (r=0.226; p=0.038) was found to decrease. However, we didn't find a significant difference between nappers vs. non-nappers for the subcomponents analysis of sleep quality. A very interesting significant (p<0.05) correlation was also observed between the well-being scores with the daytime feelings and functioning scores, sleep quality and the mental fatigue scores among the nappers’ group. The present findings concluded that a shorter duration of naps may be a possible ‘public health tool’ for better sleep quality that further enhances cognitive processing. Also, simple motor reaction time and sleep quality index may be used as a screening tool for the early detection of cognitive impairment associated with napping behavior among medical undergraduates.