Making a Big Decision? Sleep On It.

A recent study finds that subjects who slept before making a decision made better choices than those who decided immediately.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on May 18 2011

You’ve just been offered your dream job, but it pays less than the one you’re slogging away at right now. What should you do?

When you have a tough decision to make, you’re likely to agonize over it for hours, weighing up all the pros and cons, before coming to a conclusion. Or, maybe you act impulsively and decide to follow your gut right on the spot. But according to scientific research, there’s a better way to make tough choices: Sleep on it.

In a study recently published in Journal of Consumer Psychology, researchers gave subjects a wealth of information about different types of cars, and asked them to make a hypothetical choice about which one would be the best fit. Some of the subjects were asked to make their choices right away, while others were given a task to distract them first, and were not asked to choose until the next morning.

The participants who’d had a good night’s sleep came back refreshed the next morning, and chose the highest-quality cars, while those who’d made snap decisions chose cars that had more non-essential features. The researchers found that the subjects who’d slept on the decision were able to process information more thoroughly while they slept—an ideal way to multitask.

So, if someone asks you to make a big decision, don’t rush to provide a response on the spot. Instead, take a step back and get a good night’s sleep. Chances are, in the morning, you’ll know exactly what to do.

Filed under: Health and Wellbeing, Science,

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