TAKE A NAP

THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE HAVING A TOUGH TIME SOLVING A PROBLEM . . . TRY TAKING A NAP:

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with the perfect solution to a problem you were trying ALL DAY to solve?

Well, if so, that actually makes sense. Why? Because a new study from the University of California at San Diego has found that rapid-eye-movement sleep . . . or REM sleep . . . can improve creative problem solving by as much as 40%. -A woman named Sara Mednick led the study. She says, "We found that, for creative problems that you've already been working on, the passage of time is enough to find solutions. However, for new problems, only REM sleep enhances creativity."

So why is REM sleep so important to problem solving? --Well, the researchers aren't really sure. But the working theory is that REM sleep causes changes to our neurotransmitter systems . . . which help the brain form new associations between unrelated ideas.

In other words, taking a nap might actually IMPROVE your performance at work. (--Try that one on the boss the next time he catches you sleeping at your desk.) (Health Day)