Mental Sleep Activity and Disturbing Dreams in the Lifespan.
Serena Scarpelli, Chiara Bartolacci, Aurora D'Atri, Maurizio Gorgoni, Luigi De Gennaro
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health September 29, 2019 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16193658 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Dreaming PTSD |
| Keywords | Brain Humans Cognition Dreams Mental recall Sleep Memory, episodic Children Elderly Lifespan Young adults Nightmares |
| Key findings | Argues that dreaming is an expression of brain maturation and cognitive development, linked to memory and visuo-spatial abilities, and that mental sleep activity may aid emotional processing and regulation across the lifespan. Proposes that nightmares and bad dreams may be attempts to cope with adverse events, with cognitive-brain maturation influencing these mechanisms. |
Abstract
Sleep significantly changes across the lifespan, and several studies underline its crucial role in cognitive functioning. Similarly, mental activity during sleep tends to covary with age. This review aims to analyze the characteristics of dreaming and disturbing dreams at different age brackets. On the one hand, dreams may be considered an expression of brain maturation and cognitive development, showing relations with memory and visuo-spatial abilities. Some investigations reveal that specific electrophysiological patterns, such as frontal theta oscillations, underlie dreams during sleep, as well as episodic memories in the waking state, both in young and older adults. On the other hand, considering the role of dreaming in emotional processing and regulation, the available literature suggests that mental sleep activity could have a beneficial role when stressful events occur at different age ranges. We highlight that nightmares and bad dreams might represent an attempt to cope the adverse events, and the degrees of cognitive-brain maturation could impact on these mechanisms across the lifespan. Future investigations are necessary to clarify these relations. Clinical protocols could be designed to improve cognitive functioning and emotional regulation by modifying the dream contents or the ability to recall/non-recall them.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelic Psychiatry's Brave New World. | 2020 | Review | |
| Reviewing the Potential of Psychedelics for the Treatment of PTSD | 2020 | Review | |
| Novel psychopharmacological therapies for psychiatric disorders: psilocybin and MDMA. | 2016 | Review | |
| MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD: Are memory reconsolidation and fear extinction underlying mechanisms? | 2018 | Review | |
| Clinical applications of hallucinogens: A review. | 2016 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 19
- What about dreams? State of the art and open questions Journal of Sleep Research April 13, 2022
- Incorporation of recent waking-life experiences in dreams correlates with frontal theta activity in REM sleep Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience May 29, 2018
- The role of sleep and dreams in long‐ COVID Journal of Sleep Research November 18, 2022
- Aushadha bheshajiyam of kashyapa indriya sthana - an explorative study International Journal of Complementary & Alternative Medicine November 24, 2021
- Orchestration of dreams: a possible tool for enhancement of mental productivity and efficiency. Sleep and biological rhythms 2021
and 14 more in the library
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