Gregory Pappas
‘Any reason to take a nap is a good one—but a new study from MIT and Harvard adds to the growing body of evidence that a quick snooze can actually do wonders to unlock your creative potential.
Scientists published a paper Monday in the journal Scientific Reports that showed that short naps can help the brain come up with creative solutions to tough problems. The phenomenon occurs during the very early stages of the sleep cycle known as hypnagogia, or the liminal space right between dozing off and being awake.
The study’s authors also helped sleepy volunteers access this creativity sweet spot by talking them through a guided dream in a process called “targeted dream incubation.” Along with sounding like it came straight out of Inception, the process helped participants be more creative when it came to the topic the dream was about.
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