Let me sleep on that

[+ purplekow]

At about 5 O'clock this morning I awaken and headed to the BR with my half complete Saturday NY crossword in hand. I will struggle with any crossword until I have completed it but his particular one was one with which I was getting no traction. On and off for several days I made small gains, but large areas remained maddeningly incomplete.

 

This morning, I sat down to try again, this time in my stuporous, just got out of bed state and "Huzzah", suddenly the answers were clear. Four letter Great Lake was not Erie, four letter Scandinavian capital was not Oslo four letter cookie was not Oreo. I had considered that there may be some sort of trick to these easy clues as the rest of the puzzle was usual challenging but no impossible Saturday fare, but in that brief period between sleep and squat, it all was clear. AH... two letters to each box and by the time the paper work was done so was the paper puzzle, no buts about it.

 

Now the point here is not that I completed the puzzle, nor is it that I completed the puzzle while on the toilet, nor is it that I should have seen this on any one of numerous previous attempts. The point is that this has happened to me in the past. I have indeed "slept on it" , it being a vexing problem, and then suddenly, in moonless pre-dawn darkness, the answer was a bright as noon in June.

 

So, have you had a situation for which, sleeping on it allowed an epiphany? Has the flag proven to be there in the dawn's early light? Now I know this thread will likely be hijacked to discuss morning sex, which has been known to cause an epiphany, which has solved many a vexing problem and for many, which has given a completely different meaning to having slept on it, but any answers to the original intent are appreciated and any references to morning sex should be explicit or really funny.

 

Mi ch ig an He ls in ki Th in Mi nt.

[+ Oliver]

At about 5 O'clock this morning I awaken and headed to the BR with my half complete Saturday NY crossword in hand. I will struggle with any crossword until I have completed it but his particular one was one with which I was getting no traction. On and off for several days I made small gains, but large areas remained maddeningly incomplete.

 

This morning, I sat down to try again, this time in my stuporous, just got out of bed state and "Huzzah", suddenly the answers were clear. Four letter Great Lake was not Erie, four letter Scandinavian capital was not Oslo four letter cookie was not Oreo. I had considered that there may be some sort of trick to these easy clues as the rest of the puzzle was usual challenging but no impossible Saturday fare, but in that brief period between sleep and squat, it all was clear. AH... two letters to each box and by the time the paper work was done so was the paper puzzle, no buts about it.

 

Now the point here is not that I completed the puzzle, nor is it that I completed the puzzle while on the toilet, nor is it that I should have seen this on any one of numerous previous attempts. The point is that this has happened to me in the past. I have indeed "slept on it" , it being a vexing problem, and then suddenly, in moonless pre-dawn darkness, the answer was a bright as noon in June.

 

So, have you had a situation for which, sleeping on it allow an epiphany? Has the flag proven to be there in the dawn's early light? Now I know this thread will likely be hijacked to discuss morning sex, which has been known to cause an epiphany, which has solved many a vexing problem and for many, which has given a completely different meaning to having slept on it, but any answers to the original intent are appreciated and any references to morning sex should be explicit or really funny.

 

Mi ch ig an He ls in ki Th in Mi nt.

Ok - I do crosswords; I've been to the BR; it's almost noon; I've read and reread this. But you have lost me! Maybe I should sleep on it?:eek:

[MikeBiDude]

At about 5 O'clock this morning I awaken and headed to the BR with my half complete Saturday NY crossword in hand. I will struggle with any crossword until I have completed it but his particular one was one with which I was getting no traction. On and off for several days I made small gains, but large areas remained maddeningly incomplete.

 

This morning, I sat down to try again, this time in my stuporous, just got out of bed state and "Huzzah", suddenly the answers were clear. Four letter Great Lake was not Erie, four letter Scandinavian capital was not Oslo four letter cookie was not Oreo. I had considered that there may be some sort of trick to these easy clues as the rest of the puzzle was usual challenging but no impossible Saturday fare, but in that brief period between sleep and squat, it all was clear. AH... two letters to each box and by the time the paper work was done so was the paper puzzle, no buts about it.

 

Now the point here is not that I completed the puzzle, nor is it that I completed the puzzle while on the toilet, nor is it that I should have seen this on any one of numerous previous attempts. The point is that this has happened to me in the past. I have indeed "slept on it" , it being a vexing problem, and then suddenly, in moonless pre-dawn darkness, the answer was a bright as noon in June.

 

So, have you had a situation for which, sleeping on it allow an epiphany? Has the flag proven to be there in the dawn's early light? Now I know this thread will likely be hijacked to discuss morning sex, which has been known to cause an epiphany, which has solved many a vexing problem and for many, which has given a completely different meaning to having slept on it, but any answers to the original intent are appreciated and any references to morning sex should be explicit or really funny.

 

Mi ch ig an He ls in ki Th in Mi nt.

Sometimes when I used to write programming code I'd stumble over a difficult section of code, and stop and go to bed. Lo and behold the next morning (often in the shower for some reason) the clear and concise snippet of code I needed would come to me

[playwrestler]

This is classic. Sleep is a way of turning your conscious mind off and letting your subconscious take over. For many years I was an actor and the most difficult thing to do was to stop "thinking" about the character/play/memorizing/rehearsal/blocking etc etc. The one thing that saved me was to get involved in a good book (usually sci-fi) that had nothing to do with my current "job" -- amazing things would then happen the next morning because I had successfully transferred my "work" to my subconscious. I've discussed it with other actors and most have discovered this "technique" from the very example you described. The really hard Crossword puzzles reveal themselves over days when sleep intervenes!!

[+ Charlie]

I have had an eerier kind of experience. On several occasions, while I was sleeping, I became aware of the death of someone close to me, which I managed to confirm as soon as I awakened. In every case the death occurred far away, and sometimes was unexpected.

[Courage]

So, have you had a situation for which, sleeping on it allow an epiphany?

 

Simply thoroughly disengaging a problem and reengaging is a powerful thing, particularly with rest in between. "Fresh eyes" or "looking anew," so to speak.

 

But I do agree on your point: about a decade ago I had previously undiagnosed/untreated sleep disorders attended to and it has been life changing.

[gallahadesquire]

When i was a tetris addict (slow machine; score of WELL over 4,000,000) I would play that in my mind's eye.

[Nvr2Thick]

Motorcyclists (and others) do well to comprehend "target fixation" -- the tendency be drawn toward a hazard because you are focusing on it. It seems as if you were in a similar situation. Often when you select an incorrect solution while working on a puzzle it's hard to "look away" from that solution to find the right one.

[MassageDrew]

I prefer to sleep on It especially if it doesn't require an immediate response/decision. I'd like to think that I make good decisions but its even better when I made it with a clear mind.

[LADoug1]

I do crosswords and find I'm better at them just after waking than later in the day. Sleep definitely works for me!

[Lookin]

At about 5 O'clock this morning I awaken and headed to the BR with my half complete Saturday NY crossword in hand. . . . This morning, I sat down to try again, this time in my stuporous, just got out of bed state and "Huzzah", suddenly the answers were clear. Four letter Great Lake was not Erie, four letter Scandinavian capital was not Oslo four letter cookie was not Oreo.

 

Sleeping on it, of course, is a natural and likely source for your burst of lexical inspiration. Though could it possibly be the activity that began your day which gave you the insights which had eluded you the night before?

 

In scarcely more than the time it took to read your post, I tumbled to half a dozen* four letter words involving a ride on the commode. The English language is indeed rich and abundant and never moreso than when mounted on the porcelain throne.

 

You raise an interesting question, no doubt, and perhaps one with multiple answers. http://www.boytoy.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

 

* Make that seven. I had forgotten 'loaf'. http://emoticonos.smilchat.net/smiley/casa/hygiene/tresconstitpe.gif

[+ WilliamM]

I have a different solution. When I can not remember someone's name, I excuse myself to buy a cup of coffee and run through the alphabet quickly in my mind and usually remember the name. The last two time it took me to the letter R and this last weekend the letter L.

[BigK]

I have a different solution. When I can not remember someone's name, I excuse myself to buy a cup of coffee and run through the alphabet quickly in my mind and usually remember the name. The last two time it took me to the letter R and this last weekend the letter L.

 

Neat trick. I'm going to try this one. I worry so much about remembering names since I'm just not good at it that I momentarily freeze on someone's name I should know. The name will usually come to me later when I'm not trying remember it. So you're trick might work for me.

[+ WilliamM]

Neat trick. I'm going to try this one. I worry so much about remembering names since I'm just not good at it that I momentarily freeze on someone's name I should know. The name will usually come to me later when I'm not trying remember it. So you're trick might work for me.

 

Another way to remember is to associate the first name with someone whom you know with the same name. And as soon as possible write the name in a journal or book. Good luck.

[LADoug1]

I try hard to make a word association with the name of the person I'm meeting. It's the only trick that works for me. How I HATE forgetting the name of someone I've met before!☹️

[+ purplekow]

I try hard to make a word association with the name of the person I'm meeting. It's the only trick that works for me. How I HATE forgetting the name of someone I've met before!☹️

Well to those I have met in Palm Springs, I am already asking you to forgive my not recalling your name this time. It has been two years and my memory is terrible for this kind of thing.

[mike carey]

Well to those I have met in Palm Springs, I am already asking you to forgive my not recalling your name this time. It has been two years and my memory is terrible for this kind of thing.

Well, since you look like your avatar, it should be pretty simple!