Research shows that napping can improve problem-solving skills
A short daytime nap known as a '
An afternoon nap facilitates analogical transfer in creative problem solving - Westerberg - Journal of Sleep Research - Wiley Online Library
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsr.14419
Afternoon Naps Boost Your Problem-Solving, Study Finds : ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/afternoon-naps-boost-your-problem-solving-study-finds
To investigate the effect of napping on problem-solving ability, the research team recruited undergraduates aged 18 to 29 from Texas State University and conducted an experiment. 28 of the subjects were assigned to the 'nap group' and 30 to the 'wakefulness group.'
First, all subjects were given eight 'source problems' to solve, and after solving them, they were presented with the correct answers and instructions on how to solve the problems, which they were asked to remember.
Next, subjects were presented with eight 'target problems' and were tasked with answering each one. In the case of target problems, the correct answer was not given to participants even after they answered, and they were prompted to answer the next problem when the time was up.
Although the subjects were not aware of this, the target problems in the series of tasks could be solved using the same process as the source problems they had previously solved. In other words, if subjects noticed that the source and target problems had something in common, they could infer from that and solve the target problems.
After completing the target questions, the participants were given a two-hour break during which the participants in the nap group were asked to take a 110-minute nap while wearing an electroencephalography (EEG) headset, whereas the participants in the wake group were asked to remain awake and not take a nap.
After the break, the experiment continued and participants were asked to try the target problems again, and to subjectively rate how similar the source and target problems were on a 7-point scale.
Analysis of the experimental results showed that the group that took a nap before solving the final target problem was more likely to be able to solve the problem that they had not been able to solve initially. Furthermore, it was found that subjects who took a nap were more likely to notice the similarity between the source problem and the target problem. There was no difference in the correct answer rate for the source problem or the initial target problem between the nap group and the awake group.
It was also confirmed that the improvement in problem-solving ability was related to the amount of REM sleep taken during sleep. The graph below shows the amount of REM sleep taken during a nap on the vertical axis and the improvement in problem-solving ability after a nap on the horizontal axis. The subjects who had more REM sleep tended to have better problem-solving ability.
REM sleep plays a role in linking new memories with old memories, which may make it easier to notice commonalities between the source and target problems. The research team states, 'These results indicate that REM sleep highlights commonalities between the source and target problems that were not noticed before a nap, improving the use of analogical transfer and thereby improving the ability to solve target problems that were initially insoluble.'
'While we don't know if there's a direct causal relationship, there is a strong association between naps and problem-solving ability,' said Science Alert, a science media outlet. 'It might be hard to get your boss to let you take a 110-minute nap a day to boost your afternoon productivity, but this study shows that people can be better problem solvers after a nap.'
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