A recent study highlights the value of taking a short nap for problem-solving, reinforcing the idea that "sleeping on it" can lead to those enlightening "eureka" moments. While it has been theorised for some time that sleep aids in attaining insights, researchers have now tested this hypothesis.
In this study, published in PLOS Biology, participants were asked to engage in a task that involved tracking a series of dots on a screen with instructions to respond via keyboard. Notably, they were unaware of a specific trick that could simplify their task.
Following four rounds of trials, the participants were given a 20-minute nap, during which their sleep patterns were monitored. Upon waking, they faced the task again and found that 70.6% of them were able to discover the unmentioned trick, signifying a considerable boost in problem-solving ability following their brief rest.
Interestingly, the study also revealed that those who achieved deeper sleep—specifically entering the N2 sleep phase—experienced a remarkable 85.7% success rate in realising the trick. This contrasted with just 55.5% of those who remained awake and 63.6% of the individuals who only reached lighter N1 sleep. In a separate group that did not nap, only 49.6% managed to have a breakthrough.
Study co-author Nicholas Schuck expressed intrigue at the ability of even a brief sleep to facilitate new connections, prompting a further inquiry into the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon. Fellow co-author Anika Löwe noted the importance of establishing concrete evidence backing what many have deemed a common experience. She observed that when sharing their findings with creatives in her life, many resonated with the conclusion, highlighting how personal experiences of creative breakthroughs post-nap were prevalent.
These findings underscore the potential of sleep as a powerful tool in cognitive processing, suggesting that taking a short break for rest could enhance one’s ability to tackle complex problems effectively.