Power naps and that “eureka” moment

Neuroscientists appear to be confirming that waking up after a brief deep sleep or power nap suddenly makes people much better at creative problem-solving. A new study has recently demonstrated how much more likely that “aha” moment becomes after a person has entered the second stage of sleep during a short nap.  

One possibility being mooted and increasingly accepted is that during a deep sleep the brain sifts through what is relevant and what is less so, with upon awakening greater clarity of mind and improved ability to get to the gist of a problem.

There is, as yet, no broad consensus on exactly which stage of sleep is the most beneficial in generating that flash of brilliance. The candidates are non-REM sleep’s lightest stage N1, while other studies suggest that the deeper stage N2 sleep may be the cause. There is even the possibility that either sleep stage may boost different types of cognitive processes and hence differing problem-solving abilities.

University College London (UCL) even discovered that napper’s brains were on overage more than 15 cubic cm larger than the brains of people who never indulged in a daytime catnap. The study also maintains that this equates to delaying ageing of the brain by between three and six years. Tech giants such as Google, Facebook and Samsung all have nap pods at their offices to allow workers to grab some shuteye during the workday. In many cultures an afternoon nap is indeed an integral part of their day. The Japanese have their hirune (afternoon nap) and the Spanish have their siesta. And it all seems all the more natural when you consider that, particularly in the summer, birds and wildlife in general tend to press the “off” button between about midday and 2-3 p.m.

A sleep of between 20 and 30 minutes appears to be the ideal length of slumber. Most adults feel a certain tiredness in the early afternoon which may be the best time for that brief, deep sleep.

Napping for too long or too late in the day may not be a good idea though, as this can cause grogginess on waking up and sabotage your nightly rest to boot. No particular environment seems necessary for such a power sleep, so you can just as well nod off in an Ikea chair and awaken to the same enlightenment.