The Creative Power of Sleep: Boosting Inspiration and Innovation.

MIT and Harvard Medical School researchers have found that "targeted dream incubation" during the sleep onset phase may enhance creativity. Participants given a specific topic to dream about during this phase performed more creatively in tasks related to that topic. This 'targeted dream incubation' led to the generation of more creative stories compared to those who napped without a specific prompt or stayed awake. The study suggests that the brain makes wider connections between disparate concepts during this dream state, enhancing creative performance.