Harness dream rehearsal to solve tough problems overnight

The night after Emma struggled with drafting a difficult email to her boss, she followed a simple ritual: she wrote the words, Draft feedback email, on a scrap of paper and read them twice before closing her eyes. As sleep came on, her brain continued churning the bullet points she’d jotted at her desk. In the dark, she re-played the awkward phrasing and flirted with alternate tones. Then she slept. At four A.M., Olivia jolted awake. She’d dreamt of her boss listening attentively to a warming preface, and each bullet point had mapped itself into an orange thread flowing through the letter. The tone was simultaneously assertive and collaborative—in person it had eluded her. With barely a pause, she scribbled her insight in the dark. Two hours later, at her desk, she implemented the new structure and submitted the letter with confidence. This is dream incubation in action. Researcher Robert Stickgold’s Tetris study first showed how practicing a puzzle before bed led to vivid game images in dreams—and to better next-day performance. Later, teams have used similar methods to improve language learning, sports drills, even complex mazes. The principle is that the sleeping mind replays and integrates recent experiences, sifting through them to reinforce important lessons while you rest. By formalizing your own dream rehearsal—selecting a problem, setting a mental intention, and recording insights—you tap into your brain’s natural overnight processing. Don’t worry about whether your flash of inspiration is perfect; capture it immediately and refine it later. You’ll be surprised how quickly fresh ideas emerge.

Right before sleep, picture the issue you’re stuck on—an email, a project proposal, a tough talk—and ask your mind to sort it out. Rest easy knowing your brain will keep working after lights-out. If you wake with an insight, even a scratch of a line, blaze it into your notebook before you drift back off. Try it tonight.