Comparative Analysis of REM and NREM Sleep in Mammals, Reptiles, and Cephalopoda with Relations to Dreaming
International journal of high school research November 30, 2023 L. N. Arakelyan
Humans cycle through NREM and REM sleep, with dreaming occurring in both stages but more frequently during REM. Whether non-human animals experience the same sleep cycles and therefore dream remains uncertain. By reviewing research on sleep behaviors and experiments in mammals, reptiles, and cephalopods, the author examines evidence for REM/NREM sleep and dreaming in animals. Establishing whether animals dream could help neuroscientists better understand human dreaming, its purpose, and the meaning of dream content.