Core Daily
Recovery
Could You Use a Nap?
Have you ever worked and worked on a problem only to be frustrated, drained and solution-less? Common logic would say that you probably didn't focus enough or work hard enough on trying to come up with a solution. But what if this approach was exactly the reason you couldn't solve your problem?
When Albert Einstein discovered the Theory of Relativity, he didn't do it sitting in a dark room under a swinging 100-watt light, drinking pot after pot of coffee after 20 straight hours of grinding pencils to their nub. No doubt he put lots of hard work into solving this perplexing problem, but the truth is that he had his "aha" moment while taking a nap. Crazy, you say! This is more common than you may think.
When Gary Erickson was faced with a perplexing problem of whether to sell his company Clif Bar, he didn't beat his head against a wall or rake himself over the coals with financial projections. No, he went for a walk and had an "aha" moment. While taking a break away from the pressure and all the logic of suddenly becoming a self-made millionaire, he realized that his passion was in creating the best tasting nutritional bars on the market and making Clif Bar an innovative high-energy firm.
Einstein once said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. That is, using the same logic that created the problem to solve it." Using this approach, he took a nap and discovered that space and time were relative and not absolute. (Tough to argue with that!)
Recent research has explained why this approach works. It seems that the longer and harder we try to solve a problem, the more we tend to try to use our left brain. This is the side of the brain that is attributed to logic and analysis. However, when you relax, take a nap, or do some exercise, you tend to open up the communication with your right brain. This is the side of the brain that is creative, uses images instead of words, and allows you to think outside the box.
Neuroendocrinologist Ullrich Wagner of Luebeck in Germany has demonstrated that sleep promotes insight. He attributes this improvement to a process of consolidation of information that takes place in the hippocampus during sleep. During this consolidation, new data (solutions) is connected to knowledge already stored in the memory. What a concept. Take a nap and experience an "aha" moment.
At Athletes' Performance, rest is a crucial part of the success equation to improve an athlete's conditioning. Now we know that it's just as important for improving mental conditioning. So the next time you're struggling to solve a problem, take a break, or nap, and allow yourself to have your "aha" moment.
References
"Sleep Inspires Insight," Ullrich Wagner, et al. Nature, Vol. 427, pages 352-355; January 22, 2004.
"The Eureka Moment," Guenther Knoblich and Michael Oellinger. Scientific American, Vol. 17, Number 5, pages 38-43; Oct-Nov, 2006.
