Unexpected way to support your brain when you’re sleep‑deprived

The experiment involved 54 healthy young participants who were kept awake for 30 hours under laboratory observation. After that, the participants were randomly assigned to three groups: one group performed moderate or high‑intensity cycling for 20 minutes, another group slept for 90 minutes, and the third group served as a control — the participants simply sat on a stationary bike. Three days later, the subjects were asked to take a memory test; they had to recall the images they had seen immediately after the experiment.

It turned out that those who either exercised or slept remembered approximately 22 % more pictures than the participants in the control group. At the same time, the benefits of exercise and sleep turned out to be comparable, although their mechanisms of action are different — this was shown by recordings of brain activity (EEG). Sleep helped the brain reboot and absorb new information more easily, while physical activity allowed for more efficient use of the remaining resources without increasing the feeling of fatigue.

Of course, a workout won’t replace a full night’s sleep, but it can be a practical way to support cognitive abilities when you can’t get enough sleep. This is especially relevant for professions where sleep deprivation is common and mistakes can have serious consequences. For example, in healthcare, transportation, or emergency services.

According to Madhura Lotlikar, the author of the work, napping during a shift isn’t always possible, but a short workout can be an accessible, inexpensive, and easy‑to‑implement tool. Therefore, physical activity can be a promising way to stay in shape even with limited sleep.