>Brain seems to do it's linking over night.

Or in the space of less than an hour.

Several years ago I dedicated myself to writing an album/CD's worth of songs. I'd recently got a dog and he needed to be walked regularly. So often was the case where I'd be stuck on where to take a particular song, hitting my head against a wall. Then, it would be time to walk the dog. While out for the stroll I'd come up with an idea. Sometimes that was the idea I'd run with and other times it would lead me to new, different ideas.

I no longer have the dog but I keep taking the walks when I get stuck.