Should you sleep on buying a new car? Science says yes.

You have done the test drive. You have worked out your financing. It is all set but the paperwork. So why should you sleep on buying a new car? There are a lot of reasons, but here are the most important.

Your Unconscious Is Better At Decisions

One of the more intriguing bits of scientific study that has come out in recent years is that your conscious mind is fairly terrible at making big decisions like whether to buy that car. For the small, inconsequential stuff, your conscious mind works fine; your unconscious mind does not need to vote on which kind of sandwich you grab for lunch. However, for bigger choices, like whether this is the right car for you, stepping back and taking a night for your brain to chew over the choice will probably lead to a better result. It seems odd, but especially if you feel a nagging concern in the back of your head, let your whole mind chew over it at least overnight.

Make Decisions “Cool,” Not “Hot”

In the moment, when you have made a decision, it is thrilling stuff. Everyone has felt the rush of making a big decision and it is easy to get swept away by it. That rush can push you into making decisions you will later regret, whether it is buying extras on your car you realize later that you do not need or signing up for financing that is tough to squeeze into your budget. So rather than get swept away, step back, rest, and see what you think the next day. Even if you are still buying the car, you will only be buying the car, not a lot of regrets.

It is always good to sleep on big choices.

Work Out Details

Making big decisions is a lot of fun, but every big decision comes with a host of little decisions, and often those are just as important. For example, in the rush of buying your new car, did you price insurance for it? Do you know what your tax bill for your new car is going to be? How much is it going to cost to register? Sleeping on it lets you step back, look at the overall situation and the many little decisions that need to be made, and do it right the first time. Ask your dealership if they have a checklist of what to do when you buy a car to look over; that will help you figure out all the details.

It Is A Big Decision

Another factor, and probably the most important one, is that this is a fairly big decision you are making. Buying a new car means you will be making payments on it for years, using it for almost every major task, putting money into it for repairs, fueling it up, and quite possibly passing it on to a member of your family in a few years. It will affect everything from your job to your family to your credit score. So, why wouldn’t you take a night to consider it carefully?

Buying a car is a big decision and should not be made rashly. Ideally, you will look at a whole host of resources, such as the research from CarFoundMe to help you determine what is the right car for you, and the right way to buy it. Once you have that figured out, it will feel that much better to get behind the wheel.