Auditory Awakening Thresholds and Dream Recall in NREM Sleep

Earlier research had shown that people with lower auditory awakening thresholds (AATs) reported more dreams when awakened from non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. In this study of four participants over several nights, no relationship was found between Stage 2 NREM dreaming and within-subject, within-night variations in AAT. Subjectively 'deep' Stage 2 sleep was associated with high AATs and with reports of Stage 2 dreaming. AATs declined over successive nights of laboratory sleep. Earlier findings of similar AATs for REM and Stage 2 sleep, a decrease in AAT with time of night, and no relationship between AAT and time since last awakening were confirmed. Stage 2 awakenings close together in time yielded more reports with similar manifest content.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Whereas earlier research had shown that Ss with lower auditory awakening thresholds (AATs) reported more dreams on awakenings from non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, this study of 4 Ss over several nights each indicated no relationship between Stage 2 NREM dreaming and within-subject, within-night variations in AAT. Subjectively “deep” Stage 2 sleep was associated with high AATs and with reports of Stage 2 dreaming. AATs declined over successive nights of laboratory sleep. Earlier reports of similar AATs for Stage REM and Stage 2, a decrease in AAT with time of night, and no relationship between AAT and time since last awakening were all confirmed. Stage 2 awakenings made close together in time yielded more reports with similar manifest content.