Does Consciousness Disappear in Dreamless Sleep?
Jennifer Windt, Tore Nielsen, Evan Thompson
Trends in Cognitive Sciences December 1, 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2016.09.006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Consciousness Memory Sleep disorders Slow-wave sleep |
| Key points | Argues that consciousness can occur during dreamless sleep, and proposes a taxonomy for describing different types of dreamless sleep experiences. |
Abstract
Consciousness is often said to disappear in deep, dreamless sleep. We argue that this assumption is oversimplified. Unless dreamless sleep is defined as unconscious from the outset there are good empirical and theoretical reasons for saying that a range of different types of sleep experience, some of which are distinct from dreaming, can occur in all stages of sleep. We introduce a novel taxonomy for describing different kinds of dreamless sleep experiences and suggest research methods for their investigation. Future studies should focus on three areas: memory consolidation, sleep disorders, and sleep state (mis)perception. Our proposal suggests new directions for sleep and dream science, as well as for the neuroscience of consciousness, and can also inform the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders.