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Dreamless: the silent epidemic of REM sleep loss.

Rubin Naiman

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences October 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13447 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Review Peer reviewed
Topics Dreaming
Keywords Rem sleep Rem/dream loss Sleep deprivation
Key findings REM/dream loss is an unrecognized public health hazard contributing to illness, depression, and an erosion of consciousness.

Abstract

We are at least as dream deprived as we are sleep deprived. Many of the health concerns attributed to sleep loss result from a silent epidemic of REM sleep deprivation. REM/dream loss is an unrecognized public health hazard that silently wreaks havoc with our lives, contributing to illness, depression, and an erosion of consciousness. This paper compiles data about the causes and extent of REM/dream loss associated with commonly used medications, endemic substance use disorders, rampant sleep disorders, and behavioral and lifestyle factors. It examines the consequences of REM/dream loss and concludes with recommendations for restoring healthy REM/dreaming.

Comparable studies

Other narrative reviews on dreaming, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
The cognitive neuroscience of lucid dreaming 2019 Review
Sleep and dreaming are for important matters 2013 Review
Nightmare Disorder and Isolated Sleep Paralysis 2020 Review
My Dream, My Rules: Can Lucid Dreaming Treat Nightmares? 2019 Review
Dream Recall: State or Trait Variable? Part I: Model, Theories, Methodology and Trait Factors 1996 Review

Citations in the library

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