News: Performance Management
Well-rested employees 'get more from training'
03 April 2009
The benefits of training may be enhanced if recipients get more sleep the night before a session, a new study suggests.
Research published in journal Science by the Washington University School of Medicine shows that rest can promote the formation of long-term memory and clear room in the brain for new learning.
Paul Shaw, senior author of the study and assistant professor of neurobiology at the university, says there are a number of reasons why the brain cannot indefinitely create new memories, including a lack of physical space.
He states: "We were able to track the creation of new synapses in fruit flies during learning experiences and to show that sleep pushed the number back down."
Mr Shaw comments that staff who are worried, waking in the night worrying about their job or the economy, could be less receptive to training.
Nigel Paine, former head of training and development at the BBC and managing director of a self-named company, recently told TrainingZone.co.uk that the effectiveness of learning can be improved by boosting employee engagement.
