H-reflex suppression and autonomic activation during lucid REM sleep: a case study.
A Brylowski, Lynne Levitan, Stephen LaBerge
Sleep August 1, 1989 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/12.4.374 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Single-subject case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | Proficient lucid dreamer experienced with signaling lucidity via voluntary eye movements |
| Duration | 4 nonconsecutive nights |
| Key findings | H-reflex suppression was greater during lucid REM than nonlucid REM and correlated with phasic REM activation. |
Abstract
A single subject, a proficient lucid dreamer experienced with signaling the onset of lucidity (reflective consciousness of dreaming) by means of voluntary eye movements, spent 4 nonconsecutive nights in the sleep laboratory. The subject reported becoming lucid and signaling in 8 of the 18 rapid-eye movement (REM) periods recorded. Ten lucid dream reports were verified by polygraphic examination of signals, providing a total of 12.5 min of signal-verified lucid REM. H-Reflex amplitude was recorded every 5 s, along with continuous recording of electroencephalogram, electrooculogram, electromyogram, electrocardiogram, finger pulse, and respiration. Significant findings included greater mean H-reflex suppression during lucid REM sleep than during nonlucid REM and correlations of H-reflex suppression with increased eye movement density, heart rate, and respiration rate. These results support previous studies reporting that lucid REM is not, as might be supposed, a state closer to awakening than ordinary, or nonlucid, REM; rather, lucid dreaming occurs during unequivocal REM sleep and is characteristically associated with phasic REM activation.