Archive: Short Takes - 2005-01-14

For older people, taking an afternoon nap not only compensates for sleep problems that occur with age, but it can help keep the mind sharp, suggests a study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Researchers found that people between the ages of 55 and 85 who napped between 2 and 4 p.m. performed better on tests of mental ability, and had little trouble falling asleep at night.