Exercise and Sleep on Cognition

On this page, we summarize our current research projects on the topic of Exercise, Sleep and Cognition. We specifically investigate:

  • The combined effects of nap and exercise on cognitive performances.
  • The cognitive impacts of sleep deprivation and sleep disorders.

Exercise and Sleep Restriction

Combined Effects of Acute Exercise and Sleep Restriction on Cognition

Summary

The amount of time spent sleeping has been decreasing, and more than a third of Canadians currently suffer from short or disturbed sleep. Short or disturbed sleep has been shown to lead to poor health (cardiovascular problems, diabetes, or obesity) and cognitive issues (poor attention, concentration and memory).

​Sleep and physical activity have a bidirectional link. A diverse range of physical activities has been shown to improve sleep as well as memory. And a good night of sleep is known to enhance memory. To date, no studies have looked at the possible benefits of physical exercise in situations that are challenging for memory, such as sleep restriction. Our proposed study addresses this, as we aim at studying the effects of physical exercise – an intervention known to improve sleep and memory – in partially sleep-deprived individuals.

 

Need more info?

Please contact the project coordinator at exslprestriction@gmail.com  

 

Exercise and Nap

Combined effects of short-term exercise and sleep on recognition memory in healthy, young sedentary adults

Summary

Healthy lifestyle factors such as proper amounts of sleep and exercise are important for cognitive function. Research has provided evidence for the beneficial role of short-term exercise in enhancing memory and improving sleep quality.  Even a brief daytime nap has been linked to improvements in memory for recalling items and recognizing events. Little is known about the effects of moderating factors. The aim of this study is to decipher if the joint effects of sleep and physical activity goes above and beyond the improvement conveyed by sleep or exercise alone.

Need more info?

Please contact Melodee Mograss at contact@scnlab.com.

A comparison of self-perceived sleepiness reports with brain activity measures on cognitive performance

Summary

Testing alertness by measure of electrical brain activity has been shown to be a better indicator of sleepiness than subjective self-reports. Sleep pressure builds up during wake and is decreased during sleep. Recently, researchers have identified markers of sleep pressure in the waking EEG brain waves. For example, it has been shown that increasing time awake is associated with increasing time spent in a specific EEG frequency range, theta/low frequency alpha activity (TLFA spectral power: 5.25 to 9.0Hz). TLFA frequency range has been reported elevated in habitual short sleepers (<7hrs/night), and in average sleepers (~8hr/night) with increasing time awake. This project evaluates subjective reports and objective brain measures of sleepiness in order to determine if there’s an influence on cognitive performance.

Need more info?

Please contact Melodee Mograss at contact@scnlab.com.

Sleep Fragmentation in Nappers

Fragmentation of the rest-activity cycle in young, adult nappers using a novel fragmentation metric

Summary

Napping has been shown to provide a variety of benefits such as improvement in mood, alertness and performances. In some cases, naps can also be detrimental. The number of naps, nap length or proximity of a nap to sleep periods may result in poor quality sleep. The aim of this study is to determine whether a novel fragmentation metric can be used as a successful measure of sleep disruption. And to determine if napping behaviors are related to nighttime sleep dysfunction.

Need more info?

Please contact Melodee Mograss at contact@scnlab.com.
Exercise and Sleep Restriction

Exercise and Sleep Restriction

Combined Effects of Acute Exercise and Sleep Restriction on Cognition

Summary

The amount of time spent sleeping has been decreasing, and more than a third of Canadians currently suffer from short or disturbed sleep. Short or disturbed sleep has been shown to lead to poor health (cardiovascular problems, diabetes, or obesity) and cognitive issues (poor attention, concentration and memory).

​Sleep and physical activity have a bidirectional link. A diverse range of physical activities has been shown to improve sleep as well as memory. And a good night of sleep is known to enhance memory. To date, no studies have looked at the possible benefits of physical exercise in situations that are challenging for memory, such as sleep restriction. Our proposed study addresses this, as we aim at studying the effects of physical exercise – an intervention known to improve sleep and memory – in partially sleep-deprived individuals.

 

Need more info?

Please contact the project coordinator at exslprestriction@gmail.com  

 

Exercise and Nap

Exercise and Nap

Combined effects of short-term exercise and sleep on recognition memory in healthy, young sedentary adults

Summary

Healthy lifestyle factors such as proper amounts of sleep and exercise are important for cognitive function. Research has provided evidence for the beneficial role of short-term exercise in enhancing memory and improving sleep quality.  Even a brief daytime nap has been linked to improvements in memory for recalling items and recognizing events. Little is known about the effects of moderating factors. The aim of this study is to decipher if the joint effects of sleep and physical activity goes above and beyond the improvement conveyed by sleep or exercise alone.

Need more info?

Please contact Melodee Mograss at contact@scnlab.com.

A comparison of self-perceived sleepiness reports with brain activity measures on cognitive performance

Summary

Testing alertness by measure of electrical brain activity has been shown to be a better indicator of sleepiness than subjective self-reports. Sleep pressure builds up during wake and is decreased during sleep. Recently, researchers have identified markers of sleep pressure in the waking EEG brain waves. For example, it has been shown that increasing time awake is associated with increasing time spent in a specific EEG frequency range, theta/low frequency alpha activity (TLFA spectral power: 5.25 to 9.0Hz). TLFA frequency range has been reported elevated in habitual short sleepers (<7hrs/night), and in average sleepers (~8hr/night) with increasing time awake. This project evaluates subjective reports and objective brain measures of sleepiness in order to determine if there’s an influence on cognitive performance.

Need more info?

Please contact Melodee Mograss at contact@scnlab.com.
Sleep Fragmentation in Nappers

Sleep Fragmentation in Nappers

Fragmentation of the rest-activity cycle in young, adult nappers using a novel fragmentation metric

Summary

Napping has been shown to provide a variety of benefits such as improvement in mood, alertness and performances. In some cases, naps can also be detrimental. The number of naps, nap length or proximity of a nap to sleep periods may result in poor quality sleep. The aim of this study is to determine whether a novel fragmentation metric can be used as a successful measure of sleep disruption. And to determine if napping behaviors are related to nighttime sleep dysfunction.

Need more info?

Please contact Melodee Mograss at contact@scnlab.com.