I assume most people agree with that framing. “Thinking” generally implies a level of consciousness or self-awareness.

“Let me think about this.” “I have to think on it.”

My brain regulates all sorts of processes unconsciously, like breathing, for example. I don’t treat those as “thinking,” so I don’t know why other unconscious brain activity would be either.

I’d say it’s more like annealing. Sort, filter, compress, integrate.

Updates your models for the next morning, which is why the answer is there when it wasn’t before.