REM, not incubation, improves creativity by priming associative networks

TLDR

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, rich in dreams, has been hypothesized to aid new association formation, but evidence has been anecdotal. The study examined whether REM sleep improves creative problem solving using the Remote Associates Test. Participants underwent a nap paradigm with varied prior exposure to creative problem elements. REM sleep, compared to quiet rest and non‑REM sleep, enhanced associative network formation and integration of unrelated information, independent of memory for primed items, suggesting cholinergic and noradrenergic neuromodulation facilitates creative integration.

Abstract

The hypothesized role of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is rich in dreams, in the formation of new associations, has remained anecdotal. We examined the role of REM on creative problem solving, with the Remote Associates Test (RAT). Using a nap paradigm, we manipulated various conditions of prior exposure to elements of a creative problem. Compared with quiet rest and non-REM sleep, REM enhanced the formation of associative networks and the integration of unassociated information. Furthermore, these REM sleep benefits were not the result of an improved memory for the primed items. This study shows that compared with quiet rest and non-REM sleep, REM enhances the integration of unassociated information for creative problem solving, a process, we hypothesize, that is facilitated by cholinergic and noradrenergic neuromodulation during REM sleep.