Rebecca Spencer,  2015 PEP Fellow, says on BBC while it is known that deep sleep helps process memories and emotions, lighter sleep, such as naps for small children, can also have a soothing effect. She says, "kids are really emotional without naps, and they're hypersensitive to emotional stimuli," because they haven't consolidated the emotional baggage from earlier in the day. Spencer says naps can help adults, but not the same degree.