Tough Decision Ahead? Scientists Agree–Listen to Your Mom!

Let’s put Mom to the test…you tell you have a big decision to make, she gives her opinion but then says “to sleep on it”.  Is that the right call?  Is science on your mother’s side?  You bet your bippy it is.

According to researchers from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, who have conducted one of the first studies of its kind. Mom was right.  “Sleep not only fine-tunes memory and sharpens learning, but also it facilitates and enhances complex cognitive skills such as decision-making.”  Mom probably didn’t break it down quite like that but she was right none-the-less!

The study was based on a card game with participants who had slept 12 hours before playing  drew from decks that gave them the greatest winnings four times more often than those who did not sleep before playing. Those who slept also better understood the underlying rules of the game.

Like most things in life, there are rules-- spoken and unspoken.  Psychologists believe rule discovery is an often hidden, yet key, factor that is crucial to making sound decisions.   So when you have a tough call to make, grab some shut eye!