Researchers say they found evidence to suggest napping may help to protect against brain shrinkage. Key short naps, keep our brains young by preserving volume. *** quality link with healthy cognitive functions and *** lower risk of dementia and other diseases. According to the guardian, the brain shrinks by 0.2 to 0.5% per year starting at the age of 35 which can contribute to memory lapse, dementia and other issues. Science alert notes that scientists analyzed data for almost 400,000 people aged 40 to 69 to see how those who are genetically programmed to nap regularly fared cognitively compared to those who lacked comparable genes. Researchers found that nappers had larger brains equivalent to those who were 2.6 to 6.5 years. Younger nappers brains were on average 0.96 cubic inches larger. Previous research on adults over the age of 65 found that daytime napping improved short term cognition with nappers outperforming non nappers in cognitive tests. The new study didn't record nap length but prior studies suggest naps under 30 minutes are best. According to science alert