2. ASK YOURSELF THE QUESTION YOU'RE TRYING TO ANSWER

When you're getting ready for bed or lying with the lights out--literally ask yourself the question you've been wrestling with in your creative work. You can do this aloud or to yourself. "It is pretty easy to ask the intrinsic system a question," writes Kotler. "Out loud or silently, doesn’t seem to matter."

Triggering your brain to think about a challenging problem just before bed can help your intrinsic system get a boost in the right direction. The key is to then do something to help you forget about asking the question--read or focus on your breathing, perhaps--to help that part of your brain that works quietly in the background rev up.

i did this last night!  it totally worked!  i asked myself where the missing file was before bed. when i woke up this morning, my mind said, "on your external terabyte drive."  sure enough!  search done.

That is totally awesome. I am glad it worked for you! I am going to bed tonight and ask myself, "Which stock should I buy to make me ridiculously wealthy?" I hope I wake up tomorrow with the answer. :-)

It's surprising how often we can solve problems in our sleep. It really works!

(That pic is "... and this is how you get pink eye".)

geege!  i was totally thinking the EXACT SAME THING!!  hahaha!  (get that butt off your pillow!)

and rich, when you get the answer, please share it here. :)

So the other rule is to never put your pillow near a window if you have a dog or cat who likes to sit and watch what's going on outside?

or have a special pillow just for your pet!

Too late! He likes my pillow...

omg that is too cute!  okay, in your case, just flip the pillow over.  (btw, your other pillow case looks suspiciously like my missing blue-flowered one.  have you been going through my linen closet, adam??)

Ha, I have not been through your closet. And flipping over the pillow is a good idea.

1. FIND INSPIRATION IN YOUR BEDSIDE BOOK.

Research has shown that memory works best when something is learned shortly before sleep. Fill your brain with new ideas and inspiration before bed and you give the mind some work to do while you're asleep.

Reading before bed--whether it's fiction, a business book, or something that inspires and informs your work--is an effective way to prime your brain for creative thinking. You may just wake up with a fresh new idea you didn't have when you went to bed the night before.