Dreaming and the brain
Mark Blagrove, Julia Lockheart
February 1, 2023 DOI: 10.4324/9781003037552-6 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review |
|---|---|
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | Dreams occur in all sleep stages but are recalled more often from REM than NREM sleep, and REM dream reports are on average longer by word count. The author suggests components of REM sleep may intrude into NREM sleep to produce dreams, and notes that research on neural mechanisms that may turn dreaming on and off across the night is inconsistent. |
Abstract
The chapter begins with the text of a dream with three related but very separate scenes, and a painting of the dream and a commentary on its composition. Main content: This chapter describes how dreams occur in all stages of sleep, but are recalled more often from REM than from NREM sleep. Furthermore, REM dream reports (measured by the number of words) on average are longer than NREM dream reports. Possible reasons for the relationship of dreams to sleep stages are described, including that components of REM sleep might intrude into NREM sleep to produce dreams. Research is described showing neural mechanisms that might be turning dreaming on and off across the night, although the literature here is inconsistent. Section headings: Dreaming and REM sleep; Dreaming and the brain; Brain injury and dream recall; Dreaming in different stages of sleep; Why do dreams occur more often from REM sleep?; Using multiple awakenings to study the neural basis of 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 |