According to new research, being kept awake at night when struggling to make a big decision may not be so bad after all.

The study has revealed that ‘sleeping on it’ may lead to poor choice, this despite a report two years ago claiming that quick judgments and unconscious thought (i.e. while sleeping on a problem) were best for solving major dilemmas.

During unconscious thought the brain organises information in an optimal fashion and is seen by some as the best way to make a difficult and complex decision. The new research claims that people who think through their decision consciously make equally good choices as long as they have time to gather information and think it through.

The results came from four experiments in which students were asked to choose the best option when faced with complex decisions that require careful, conscious deliberation (such as a car purchase or rental property). They were asked to make a decision in three ways: immediately (“blink”); after conscious deliberation (“think”); or after a period of distraction (“sleeping on it”).

From the experiments it was found that thinking decisions through in conscious thought led to better choices.

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