Sleeping Pills and Dream Content
British Journal of Psychiatry June 1, 1974 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.124.6.547 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Duration | Six weeks |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | Sleep-promoting drugs suppress REM sleep and cause a rebound in REM and eye movement profusion lasting about six weeks after withdrawal. |
Abstract
Almost all sleep-promoting drugs distort the natural pattern of sleep by suppressing rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and cause a rebound to above-normal values on withdrawal which typically lasts about six weeks (Oswald, 1968, 1969). Furthermore, barbiturates reduce the number of eye movementsper unit timein REM sleep (Oswaldet al., 1963; Baekeland, 1967; Lesteret al., 1968; Feinberget al., 1969), with a rebound in eye movement (EM) profusion on withdrawal (Oswald, 1970). Non-barbiturate hypnotics do likewise, also with a rebound in EM profusion on withdrawal (Allenet al., 1968; Lewis, 1968).