Stuck on a problem? Take a nap!

Since 2004, scientific research has shown that a full night of sleep may lend itself to a burst of insight in the morning. But what about the earlier stages of sleep? And what about just a nap? A research team based in Germany found that even a 20-minute nap could deliver a "eureka" moment, and published their findings in the journal PLOS Biology this week. Have a question about sleep? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.

Jun 27, 2025 - 08:10
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Stuck on a problem? Take a nap!
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Since 2004, scientific research has shown that a full night of sleep may lend itself to a burst of insight in the morning. But what about the earlier stages of sleep? And what about just a nap? A research team based in Germany found that even a 20-minute nap could deliver a "eureka" moment, and published their findings in the journal PLOS Biology this week.

Have a question about sleep? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!

Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at
plus.npr.org/shortwave.