If you play certain sounds while someone is sleeping, they’ll actually be more decisive about tough choices the next day.
March 13, 2026
Original Paper
Reactivating conflicting evaluative memories during sleep reduces decision ambivalence
bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.03.11.710434
The Takeaway
Researchers found that reactivating conflicting memories during NREM sleep helps the brain integrate them. This process significantly reduced 'decision ambivalence,' making people more confident and less hesitant in their evaluations upon waking.
From the abstract
Memory guides everyday evaluations and decision-making. Yet people often encounter inconsistent information about the same target, giving rise to conflicting evaluative memories and decision ambivalence. Decision ambivalence is not only aversive but also reduces confidence, increases hesitation, and leads to maladaptive choices. While sleep consolidates memories, its role in resolving these evaluative conflicts and shaping decision dynamics remains unknown. Here, we investigated how memory react