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Spark Creativity with Thomas Edison’s Napping Technique
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Spark Creativity with Thomas Edison’s Napping Technique

Waking yourself from the twilight state just before sleep may help you to solve a challenging problem, a study shows

Bret Stetka
Scientific American, 2021
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8

Qualities

  • Scientific
  • Eye Opening
  • Engaging

Recommendation

Some of the world’s great thinkers and creative minds eschewed sleep, or used it to delve into the mind’s deepest insights. A new study indicates that one particular stage of sleep known as “N1” may contain the human brain’s strongest affinity for clearly seeing elusive problems and defining creative ideas. In the future, people may be able to harness this state of mind, and use it to solve real-world tasks.

Take-Aways

  • Inventor Thomas Edison considered sleep a waste of his time.
  • A recent study published in Science Advances suggests Edison’s sleep theory could be correct.
  • The viability of Edison’s object-dropping technique proved less clear.

About the Author

Bret Stetka is a writer based in New York City and editorial director of Medscape Neurology (a subsidiary of WebMD). His work has appeared in Wired, NPR and The Atlantic. He graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in 2005.

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