The Science Behind “Let’s Sleep on That”

When we are struggling with a problem, we often say, “Let’s sleep on that.” This works, because it has a scientific basis in something called the Zeigarnik Effect.

In my recent posts on lessons learned in my half-century career, I mentioned how much influence my business partner, Dan Husiak, had on me. Dan was great at absorbing theoretical principles and applying them in business and in his personal life. This post provides one example.

Often, when we are struggling with a problem, whether alone or in a group, we say, “Let’s sleep on that.” In other words, let’s leave it for now and come back to it later. Then, when we revisit it the next day, the issue is often more immediately resolved. This phenomenon has a scientific basis in something called the Zeigarnik Effect.

Bluma Zeigarnik, 1921

What Is the Zeigarnik Effect?

The Zeigarnik Effect was first postulated in 1927 by Bluma Zeigarnik, a Lithuanian psychologist, who noted that when an activity is interrupted, the human brain doesn’t let it go. She observed that waiters could easily remember orders that were still open than they could recall those for customers that had already paid. Essentially, the human brain does not like interrupted tasks or unresolved problems and will continue to work on them in the background, even while sleeping or doing other things.

Dan shared the Zeigarnik Effect with me early in our relationship at the SI Firm. We were running a multi-day business strategy workshop for one of the nation’s largest health insurance carriers. At the end of each session, Dan would tee up the issue to discuss in the next session and say a few words about it. Then he would dismiss the meeting.

I asked him, why not wait until the next day? He explained that by introducing it the day before, he was getting the Zeigarnik Effect to kick in. Consciously or subconsciously, team members would be thinking about it overnight, and the meeting the next day would be more productive. He was right.

Later, when Dan and I became business partners, there were times (of course) when we would disagree. If we became deadlocked, Dan would say, “Let’s sleep on this.” Then the next time we met, we would often find ourselves in agreement, or at least closer.

How to Leverage the Zeigarnik Effect

So, what are some other ways we can leverage the Zeigarnik Effect to benefit our professional life? Here are a few ways.

• Overcoming procrastination. When you are having a hard time getting started on a new task, tell yourself you are just going to take one small first step. For example, in writing a blog post, I often open a blank document, write a draft title and just a first sentence or two (which is exactly what I did with this post!). That engages my mind even when I move to something else. Then when I come back later, it’s there staring at me. I find it easier to add to something that I’ve already started than it is to stare at a blank document.

• Take a break. When working with others or even working alone to come up with a solution, stop working on the problem, and come back to it the next day. This could be in coding software, writing a report, or preparing a presentation. Coming back with “a fresh set of eyes” is sometimes all it takes to break through. And it doesn’t need to be an overnight break. Sometimes, just taking a walk is all that is needed

• Multiple works in parallel. Multi-tasking has its disadvantages, but it can be useful in leveraging the Zeigarnik Effect. When you are having difficulty with one, switch to the other for a short time. Then when you come back to the first, you will often have a breakthrough. However, taking this to an extreme can be detrimental. Having too many unfinished tasks can overwhelm your mind.

• Alternative to argument. When a meeting becomes contentious, don’t let it devolve into an argument, where positions harden. Summarize the two positions, then break until the next day. This gives team members time to reflect and tempers to cool. The next day will almost always be more productive in coming up with a creative solution or, at least, a compromise.

• Let a finished work “age.” In my younger years I learned that even a finished work can be improved by “letting it age” a day or two before finalizing it. This could be a research report, a client presentation, or a social media post. Invariably, after a day or two of ageing, I would see the need for revisions that improve the work.

The Zeigarnik Effect can also be applied in our personal lives. For example:

• Studying for a test. In preparing for an important test, it is better to start before going to bed rather than getting up early the day of the exam. Your brain will keep rehashing the points you studied while you are sleeping.

• Writing poetry. I am currently publishing Christian poems and hymns on my other Substack, God’s Gift of Verse, and also with Arabella Penrose. I write in traditional rhyme and meter, which can be difficult to do well. So, when I get stuck on one verse, I leave it and move on to another verse or two. Invariably, after sleeping on it, the rhyme and meter come to mind more easily the next day.

• Playing chess. My grandson Tanner introduced me to online chess a couple of years ago, and now I play with others around the world. I’ve noticed that when I’m in a difficult position, it is better to take a walk or even leave the game overnight, than it is to respond with the first move that comes to mind. My mind continues to work on the problem while I’m sleeping, and I often see a better move the next morning. (This doesn’t work for speed chess, which is on a short timer.)

Much of what I’ve shared in this post is common sense, but it is good to know the scientific basis for it. Remember the Zeigarnik Effect and leverage it for greater professional and personal productivity.

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Whether or not you previously knew the term Zeigarnik Effect, have you been practicing it? Share you thoughts in the comments.

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Image Credit: By Andrey Zeigarnik—Public Domain.