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Brain at work during a good night's sleep

guardian.co.uk — Few can claim their slumbering hours are as productive or as lucrative, but scientists have found evidence that "sleeping on the problem" does work. By scanning the brains of volunteers, they found that a good night's shut-eye seems to stimulate new brain connections that promote learning by turning a weak memory into a stronger one.

Who dugg this? Made popular Jul 15, 2008

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  • asw0210, on 07/15/2008, -1/+24I learned how to drive stick in my dreams. No joke.
  • FredFredrickson, on 07/15/2008, -1/+21Hence the term, "I'll sleep on it."
  • phreak79, on 07/15/2008, -0/+17I read about this a while ago. You set your brain to work before you sleep and hey presto, when you awaken you'll probably have some fresh insights into it.
  • dan222555, on 07/15/2008, -0/+15I've been solving problems while I'm sleeping and while I'm taking a ***** all my life.
  • shutaro, on 07/15/2008, -1/+16You actually learned to drive stick this way? Or is that just a euphemism for something else? 'Cause, you know, I learned how to "drive stick" in my sleep, too... If you catch my meaning.
  • effer, on 07/15/2008, -0/+13Well, apparently most of my problems involve naked women.
  • yosempai, on 07/15/2008, -1/+13I use this on programming issues all the time! Works like a charm.
  • shutaro, on 07/15/2008, -0/+12Yeah... I learned how to fly a helicopter in my sleep... A really, really gay helicopter.
  • wheresjim, on 07/15/2008, -0/+11I do that all of the time, quite frankly, my company should pay me to sleep sometimes.
  • scbysnx, on 07/15/2008, -0/+10people will think you're crazy but I can definitely say I had the same thing happen the first few times I drove a stick I had trouble with the clutch, had a dreams where it was drive it or die and next time I tried driving a stick I had no problems
  • crazyjake, on 07/15/2008, -0/+9This was the exact reasoning i gave to my English teachers, but they never bought it...

    zZzZzZzzzZzZzzzZZZz
    SUBJECT PREDICATE!
  • inactive, on 07/15/2008, -0/+9You mean... helicopters?
  • inactive, on 07/15/2008, -1/+10youre gay?
  • shutaro, on 07/15/2008, -0/+7In that case, I have to wonder why the solutions my brain comes up with always involve me not wearing any pants...
  • zebraz, on 07/15/2008, -0/+6So if I take a nap I'll remember where my keys are ?
  • Terrin, on 07/15/2008, -0/+6Gee Brain, what do you want to do tonight?
  • lololol1, on 07/15/2008, -0/+5are you pondering what im pondering?
  • mal1964, on 07/15/2008, -0/+5That's cool but the hard part is falling asleep when you're thinking or worrying about the problem.
  • spectre_25gt, on 07/15/2008, -0/+4...or you won't be able to sleep.
  • mohsenxp, on 07/15/2008, -1/+5I've got an old psychology book dated 1984 and it states the same thing. Why is this on the front page of digg?
  • Iwantawii, on 07/15/2008, -0/+4It's called the front page.
  • Fallout911, on 07/15/2008, -0/+3You are 100% right.
  • fishface, on 07/15/2008, -0/+3If I do this, I find myself trying to reprogram my alarm clock with my mind in the morning to let me sleep in longer
  • crazyjake, on 07/15/2008, -0/+3it could mean "Art Skiag"
  • mr.gates, on 07/15/2008, -0/+3I just did this, this morning on a physics problem I spent two hours on last night and while driving to work this morning the solution popped into my head.
  • tcpip4lyfe, on 07/15/2008, -1/+4Start drinking heavily.
  • thegrizz51, on 07/15/2008, -0/+2No, what it means is that the SOLUTION to most of your problems is naked women. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me!
  • inactive, on 07/15/2008, -0/+2I love going drifting off after hitting a problem that I am having a hard time with, and all of the sudden... bam! the solution is in half dream form.
  • inactive, on 07/15/2008, -0/+2Oh, so you mean my brain is actually working to create dreams? Whoa!
  • Slade605, on 07/15/2008, -0/+2I wonder if that upper vs lower case means anything in morse code. Now. If only I weren't so lazy...
  • catcher6250, on 07/15/2008, -0/+2Yeah, this is definitely true. If you ever play a game like DDR or Guitar Hero, then go to sleep, the next day it will seem easier. (up to a point)
  • mustang460, on 07/15/2008, -0/+2I'm not the only one then, I had a lot of trouble learning to drive a manual my first time stalled a few times others the car would buck forward ect.

    I had a dream where I stole a car which was a standard, and I was driving from the cops like I was in a hollywood car chase...anyway next day I could drive great.
  • DoTheFandango, on 07/15/2008, -0/+2the best is for beating a video game level. you try you try and you try, and you can't do it. shut down the system, boot it up in the morning and chances are you'll get it first try.
  • Jallegretta, on 07/15/2008, -0/+2Same thing we do every night.....lose brain cells to beer.
  • damawa42, on 07/15/2008, -0/+2"Some were then allowed to sleep while others were not. They repeated the same tasks the next day while having their brains scanned."

    So basically all it's shown is that lack of sleep screws your memory, which we already knew.
    That sentence seems to suggest that it hasn't yet shown that sleeping improves memory.

    If the test had been performed for some people, say a few hours later, and for the rest of the group after a good night's sleep, then it would be a valid test. But by not letting half the subjects sleep the test appears only to test sleep deprivation vs. normality, rather than "sleeping on it" vs. "stressing over it".
  • Apoy, on 07/16/2008, -0/+1It's true. From my experience: One time, I was creating a very complex C++ program and wasn't able to create a solution. After a good night sleep, I dreamed about the program, and was able to come with the solution. See, it works.
  • kjubik, on 07/16/2008, -0/+1New is the forgotten old?
  • Paulish, on 07/16/2008, -0/+1I wish I had problems with naked women. Well, you know, other than not having any.
  • Slade605, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1interesting enough I played guitar hero for about 3 hours or so after being up for 32 hours. (switching from overnight work schedule to regular people schedule) and I broke most of my records and beat songs I couldn't normally.
  • Riggs, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1This works for remembering things as well. If you've just worked on something or memorized something before sleeping, the next day it will be ingrained in your memory.
  • inactive, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1my thoughts exactly.
  • thedogfatherx, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1Man the brain is an amazing thing put together by whatever it is.
  • HairyFotr, on 07/15/2008, -1/+2Also, working in groups always gives better results.
    girl:"Looks like we aren't making any progress on this here..."
    guy:"Do you want to sleep on it together?"
  • inactive, on 07/16/2008, -0/+1*****. This explains a lot.
  • Phillyz, on 07/15/2008, -1/+2How magnificent the depths of the brains are.
  • inactive, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1youre a furry too huh? a gay furry, man i thought my life was rough
  • Badandy127, on 07/15/2008, -2/+3I got 2 hours of sleep last night and I don't think to good aneemoore.
  • ridelesteambolt, on 07/15/2008, -1/+2Now, if I could only cure my insomnia...
  • mustang460, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1combine the two...cure cancer
  • mal1964, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1Nothing like a good old fashion wet dream. We were told in 7th grade health class(catholic school) about the wet dream but i didn't have one until i was in my 20's. If I'd of known how awesome they were i would have tried harder to have them.
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