Struggling With a Tough Decision? Here's Why You Should Sleep on It, Psychologists Say
A short nap that reaches the N2 stage of sleep can significantly increase your chances of having a 'eureka' moment—more so than staying awake or just lightly dozing.
During sleep, your brain reorganizes information, strengthens important memories, and reduces emotional reactivity—making tough decisions easier to handle.
Simple changes like avoiding caffeine late in the day, sticking to a sleep schedule, and limiting screen time before bed can help you sleep deeper and think better.Before making a major decision, you might opt to 'sleep on it' first. But this isn't just an excuse to stall: in some circumstances, it can actually lead to breakthrough 'eureka' moments, according to a new study. More specifically, the study found that getting deep sleep during a nap could help with creative problem-solving. Here's what to know about the research, and how you can justify your next nap.
The Link Between Naps and Tough Decisions
Good news, nappers: a study published in the journal PLOS Biology discovered a major benefit of catching a few Z's during the day. When researchers gave participants a test responding to the dots on a keyboard before and after they took a 20-minute nap, 70.6% had an 'aha' moment—figuring out a previously unmentioned trick for accomplishing the task faster—after the nap. Though all groups improved after their nap, 85.7% of participants who achieved the first deeper sleep phase—called N2 sleep—had a breakthrough, while 55.5% of those who stayed awake and 63.6% of those who achieved light, N1 sleep had a "eureka" moment.
So, why does deep sleep help with creative problem-solving more than light sleep? 'We don't know exactly what happens during deeper sleep, but one theory—[called] 'synaptic downscaling'—proposes that connections are reorganized in a way that important connections are kept while less important ones are removed,' says Anika Löwe, PhD, visiting researcher at the University of Freiburg and coauthor of the study. 'This process is called regularization, and we know from simulations with neural networks that it plays a role in generating 'eureka moments.''
The ideal nap length depends on how quickly people fall asleep, Löwe says. After you fall asleep, you should reach deep N2 sleep after about five minutes. 'So depending on how quickly someone tends to fall asleep, 20 to 30 minutes should be a good length,' she notes. The study didn't account for the time of day that participants took their naps, but according to Löwe, 'generally people find it easier to nap in the afternoon.'
What about sleeping on something overnight? A previous study suggests that a full night's sleep was beneficial for gaining more insight into a matter, but the research design was different from the recent PLOS Biology study, so it's not a direct comparison, Löwe says. Her research only looked at napping, rather than sleeping on something overnight.
Why Does Sleeping on It Help?
Simply put, a rested brain functions better, says Emerson Wickwire, PhD, section head of sleep medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center. 'Sleep is vital for a healthy body and sound mind,' he says. 'Not getting enough sleep—or not getting enough quality sleep—worsens brain performance, judgment, and creativity.'
Additionally, one of sleep's primary functions is to consolidate memories. 'The brain processes information acquired during the day and integrates it into long-term memory,' says Fouzia Siddiqui, MD, neurologist and medical director of sleep medicine at Sentara RMH Medical Center. Along the same lines, synaptic connections are strengthened during sleep, Wickwire says. 'Our brains hold onto information that is most important and discard that which is least important—helping you make major decisions,' he adds.
Furthermore, emotional reactivity decreases during sleep, says Seyed Hassan Fakher, MD, a physician with Invigor Medical. 'This helps individuals detach from the immediate emotional load of a decision and return with more objectivity and balanced judgment, leading to better decision making,' he explains. 'Sleeping before making a big decision or tackling a creative problem can help by improving emotional balance, reducing impulsivity, and fostering a more positive outlook on your options.'
How to Get Deeper Sleep—and Achieve Breakthrough Moments
Each night, our brain oscillates through deeper and shallower stages of sleep, with each stage of sleep serving a specific function, Wickwire explains. Sleeping takes place in four stages: N1 (light), N2 (light deep), N3 (deep sleep) and REM stage (when dreams and increased brain activity occur), Fakher notes.
According to Fakher, N2 sleep is a stage of non-REM sleep characterized by specific brainwave patterns, playing a critical role in memory consolidation and sensory processing decoupling that allows the brain to enter a focused, introspective state essential for cognitive breakthroughs. N3 is the most restorative sleep stage, marked by slow brain waves, reduced heart rate, and minimal responsiveness to the environment. 'It is crucial for memory consolidation, learning efficiency, and physical recovery,' he says. The recent study determined that reaching N2 sleep during a nap is typically sufficient for reaching breakthroughs or coming up with creative ways to solve a problem.
There are a number of things you can do to ensure that you get deeper sleep. 'To support deeper, more restorative sleep, it's important to maintain regular sleep-wake cycles that align with your natural circadian rhythm,' Fakher says. One way is to avoid stimulants like caffeine, as well as electronic screens, at least two hours before bedtime, as they can interfere with the body's ability to wind down, he explains.
Engaging in relaxation rituals before bed, like reading or meditation, can help you regulate stress and signal to your brain that it's time to sleep, he notes. Limiting alcohol—which disrupts normal sleep architecture and reduces the quality of non-REM sleep—can also be helpful, according to Fakher. Plus, incorporating moderate intensity exercise during the day can also significantly enhance overall sleep depth and quality. Finally, sleeping in a cool bedroom environment can also support deep sleep, Wickwire says. All these factors work together to help bring you some peace of mind—and sometimes, even a breakthrough moment.
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