Sleep On It

According to the Tony Wilson Blog, “sleeping on it” is the perfect solution if you have an important meeting or presentation to deliver. This is because sleep will help you consolidate learning and knowledge, and you might even have a “Eureka” moment the next day.

Here are the three things we know about sleep and performance:

1. Sleep improves brain function

Sleep rejuvenates the brain’s prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain is responsible for the most important tasks that we do on a daily basis, including problem-solving, prioritizing, decision making, as well as stopping unwanted behaviors and thoughts from occurring. Sleep has been shown to improve all of these functions.

2. When we sleep, we consolidate learning

While your body is resting, your brain is highly active. If you have been repeating something during the day in an effort to save it to memory, chances are that the consolidation will take place when you are asleep.

3. A quiet mind can lead to the breakthrough moment

When you’re stuck, the solution might come to you by distancing yourself from the problem. Sleep changes our mind’s perspective unconsciously. Information is consolidated by a process taking place in the hippocampus during sleep, enabling the brain to effectively clear itself and reboot, all the while forming new connections and associations. The result is new insight, what people liken to the Archimedes’ Eureka moment.