Idiopathic hypersomnia symptoms in the forms of recurrent lucid dreams and out-of-body experiences: A preliminary study
Michael Raduga, Zhanna Zhunusova
PsyArXiv February 7, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/x5a36 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational survey study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 710 |
| Population | Adults responding to a survey on lucid dreaming, sleep paralysis, out-of-body experiences, and false awakening |
| Topics | Lucid dreaming |
| Key findings | Recurrent lucid dreaming and recurrent out-of-body experiences were more prevalent among people sleeping more than nine hours (43.3% and 32.1%, respectively) than among those sleeping under six hours or controls, while recurrent false awakening showed no significant association. The authors argue these phenomena may serve as signs of deviant sleep duration or indirect symptoms of sleep disorders like idiopathic hypersomnia. |
Abstract
Objective. The arousal of consciousness during REM sleep can lead to states of sleep paralysis (SP), lucid dreaming (LD), out-of-body experiences (OBEs), and false awakening (FA). We know that recurrent SP is a symptom of sleep disorders like insomnia or narcolepsy. This study hypothesizes that other recurrent phenomena related to SP could also be signs of sleep deviations like insomnia and idiopathic hypersomnia (IH). The results of the study could simplify the diagnostic process for sleep disorders in adults while also improving our knowledge of the nature of REM sleep.Method. Filtered data from ‘Survey on lucid dreaming, sleep paralysis, out-of-body experiences, and false awakening’ (N = 710) was used to compare sleep duration (SD) with patterns of insomnia (<6 sleep hours) and IH with long sleep (>9 sleep hours).Results. rLD was mostly prevalent among the >9 hour SD group (IH, OR 2.8) at 43.3%, in comparison to 29.1% for the <6 hour SD group and 21.1% for the control group. rOBE was most prevalent among the >9 hour SD group (IH, OR 3.0) at 32.1%, in comparison to 17.0% of the <6 hour SD group and 13.6% for the control group. rFA had no OR significance.Discussion. The results show that LD and OBE could be signs of improper SD or even indirect symptoms of sleep disorders like IH with long sleep. The results do not relate to intentional LD practice, as this requires separate research. The outcomes of this study provide an easy means of recognizing deviations in sleep, with potential applications in medicine and in improving quality of life.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on lucid dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Phenomenology of Lucid Dreaming: An Online Survey Respondents to an online survey about lucid dreams | 2014 | Online survey | n = 684 |
| Frequency of Lucid Dreaming in a Representative German Sample Representative sample of German adults | 2011 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 919 |
| Lucid dreaming: an age‐dependent brain dissociation Students aged 6-19 years | 2012 | Survey | |
| Terror and bliss? Commonalities and distinctions between sleep paralysis, lucid dreaming, and their associations with waking life experiences Adults aged 18–82 years | 2016 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 1,928 |
| Increased Lucid Dreaming Frequency in Narcolepsy Patients diagnosed with narcolepsy and healthy control subjects | 2015 | Cross-sectional study | n = 979 |
Citations in the library
Cites 20
- Lucid Dreaming Verified by Volitional Communication during Rem Sleep Perceptual and Motor Skills June 1, 1981
- A systematic review of variables associated with sleep paralysis Sleep Medicine Reviews June 8, 2017
- Lucid Dreaming as a Treatment for Recurrent Nightmares Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics February 18, 2010
- Lucid dreaming incidence: A quality effects meta-analysis of 50 years of research Consciousness and Cognition June 20, 2016
- My Dream, My Rules: Can Lucid Dreaming Treat Nightmares? Frontiers in Psychology 2019
and 15 more in the library