A recent study published in PLOS Biology revealed that taking a short 20-minute nap, especially reaching the deeper N2 sleep stage, can enhance creativity and problem-solving abilities. Researchers at the University of Hamburg conducted experiments showing that such naps increased the likelihood of experiencing a "eureka moment," offering scientific backing to the old adage of "sleeping on it."
The study was conducted by Anika Löwe, Marit Petzka, Maria Tzegka, and Nicolas Schuck from the University of Hamburg, Germany. They designed an experiment involving 90 volunteers aged 18 to 35. The participants were asked to perform a visual task that required tracking a series of dots moving across a screen and responding by pressing a keyboard. Unbeknownst to them, there was a hidden trick involving the color of the dots that could make the task easier.
After four rounds of trials, some participants were instructed to take a 20-minute nap while their brain activity was monitored using an electroencephalogram (EEG). Participants were also told to sleep about 30 percent less than usual the night before and were prohibited from consuming caffeine on the day of the test to ensure they could fall asleep more easily during the experiment.
Upon waking, all groups showed an improvement in performance, with many participants discovering the hidden trick in the visual task after the nap. Specifically, 85.7 percent of participants who reached the deeper N2 sleep stage experienced a breakthrough, demonstrating the benefits of deeper sleep over lighter sleep stages or staying awake.
"Even a very short sleep phase can have an effect on cognitive perception," said developmental psychologist Löwe, according to ORF Science. She added, "Those who had fallen into deeper sleep were most likely to have an 'Aha!' moment after the sleep."
Participants who only reached light sleep, known as Stage 1 or N1 sleep, also showed improved insight, with about 64 percent finding the solution. In contrast, only 55.5 percent of participants who remained awake experienced a moment of insight, demonstrating that sleep, even if brief, can play a role in enhancing problem-solving skills.
"It's really intriguing that a short period of sleep can help humans make connections they didn't see before," said Schuck, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Hamburg, according to a press release published on EurekAlert. "The next big question is why this happens. We hope that our discovery that it may be linked to the EEG spectral slope is a good first lead."
The researchers observed that EEG patterns during sleep revealed a "steeper spectral slope," suggesting that deep sleep facilitates the brain's ability to make decisions and is associated with "aha" moments. This discovery offers a potential explanation for how sleep fosters creativity and problem-solving.
"I think a lot of us have made the subjective experience of having important realizations after a short nap," said Löwe, as reported by EurekAlert. "It's really nice to not only have data on that, but also a first direction of what processes are behind this phenomenon."
The study reinforces the importance of brief and quality rest in enhancing cognitive abilities. According to the researchers, incorporating short naps into daily routines could be a simple strategy for improving creativity and problem-solving skills in settings including the workplace and educational environments.
"This could sustainably increase not only performance but also problem-solving competence in companies," suggested Löwe, according to ORF Science.
The research not only sheds light on the role of sleep in cognitive functions but also opens avenues for further studies to explore the underlying mechanisms of sudden insights and creative breakthroughs. "These findings suggest that anyone looking for a breakthrough might want to power down rather than power through," noted the New York Post.
Produced with the assistance of a news-analysis system.