We know from an often skeptical press that many brain training apps do not work beyond practice effects specific to the games themselves. But it’s clear from the steady stream of peer-reviewed cognitive neuroscience research that some types of brain training are effective for increasing IQ and focus (ref). So what works? What brain training has so-called far-transfer to general cognitive abilities (as opposed to ‘narrow transfer’ to highly similar tasks
This remarkable study by Van Der Werf and his colleagues shows that you can learn motor skills just by watching and then sleeping shortly after. But you won’t learn from watching if you don’t sleep immediately!
Dreaming improves creative problem solving and fluid intelligence type problem solving.