A recent study suggests that the advice to “sleep on it” when faced with a decision may have a scientific basis. The study found that daytime thoughts significantly influence nighttime dreams. According to Valentina Elce, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Freiburg, dreams may aid in processing daily experiences and emotions. Elce’s study, conducted from 2020 to 2024 with over 3,000 participants, indicated that daily activities are reflected in dreams but in metaphorical ways.
Furthermore, attention span appears to impact dream characteristics. Individuals who daydream more tend to have shorter, fragmented dreams, while those valuing and actively engaging with their dreams experience more vivid and elaborate dreamscapes. Elce suggests that developing a habit of journaling thoughts upon waking can enhance dream recall.
In a separate study on “dream engineering,” researchers explored whether dreams could assist in solving creative problems. Led by Karen Konkoly, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge, the study involved lucid dreamers solving puzzles presented before sleep. Results showed that dreaming of a puzzle increased the likelihood of solving it, with solutions often emerging after waking. By using auditory cues during sleep to prompt dream recall, the researchers observed a higher dream puzzle focus.
Tore Neilsen, director of the Dream and Nightmare Laboratory at the Universite de Montreal, noted that dreaming may play a role in offline problem-solving, possibly involving REM sleep processes. Konkoly emphasized the importance of pre-sleep activities in shaping dream content, suggesting that reading, watching, or listening to specific stimuli can influence dream scenarios.
