REM sleep respiratory behaviours mental content in narcoleptic lucid dreamers.
Scientific Reports February 8, 2018 Delphine Oudiette, Pauline Dodet, Nahema Ledard et al.
Breathing is irregular during REM sleep but stable during non-REM sleep; the reason has been unknown. This study tested whether irregular breathing during REM sleep originates in the cortex and reflects dream content. Twenty-one patients with narcolepsy, who can lucid dream and signal awareness with eye movements, were monitored during naps. Participants were instructed to modify their dream to involve vocalizations or apnea. Most (86%) signaled lucidity in at least one nap. In 50% of lucid naps, dream reports (e.g., diving underwater) matched observed respiratory behavior (e.g., central apnea), sometimes with a preparatory breath. The findings suggest that cortical-subcortical networks controlling voluntary breathing remain active during REM sleep and that breathing irregularities reflect dream content.