She found that it was possible to come up with novel solutions in dreams that were both satisfactory to the dreamer and rated as objectively solving the problem by an outside observer.
[1] Other studies have found this type of bedtime dream incubation effective in solving problems of a more subjective, personal nature.
[2] In Barrett's book, The Committee of Sleep, she describes her study of prominent artists and scientists who draw inspiration from their dreams.
If you're a scientist, the device you're working on that's half assembled or a mathematical proof you've been writing through versions of.
Equally important, don't jump out of bed when you wake up—almost half of dream content is lost if you get distracted.