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Dreaming During Non-rapid Eye Movement Sleep in the Absence of Prior Rapid Eye Movement Sleep

Hiroyuki Suzuki, Makoto Uchiyama, Hirokuni Tagaya, Akiko Ozaki, Kenichi Kuriyama, Sayaka Aritake, Kayo Shibui, Xin Tan, Yuichi Kamei, Ryuichi Kuga

Sleep December 1, 2004 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/27.8.1486 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational study Peer reviewed
Sample size 11
Population Healthy men
Duration 3 days of repeated 20-minute nap trials separated by 40-minute periods of enforced wakefulness
Topics Dreaming
Citations 73
Key findings Dream reports were obtained after both REM-containing naps (172 reports) and NREM-only naps (563 reports), indicating that REM sleep is not required for dream experiences. NREM dreams were less remarkable in quantity, vividness, and emotion than REM dreams and were reported more often in the morning, when REM sleep was most likely. The authors suggest that a subcortical activation similar to REM sleep may occur during morning NREM sleep and produce these experiences.

Abstract

STUDY

Objectives: There is a long-standing controversy surrounding the existence of dream experiences during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Previous studies have not answered the question whether this "NREM dream" originates from the NREM sleep mechanism because the subject might simply be recalling experiences from the preceding rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

Methods: We scheduled 11 healthy men to repeat 20-minute nap trials separated by 40-minute periods of enforced wakefulness across a period of 3 days. At the end of the nap trial, each participant answered questions regarding the formal aspects of his dream experiences during the nap trial, using the structured interviews.

Results: We obtained a total of 172 dream reports after naps containing REM sleep (REM naps) and 563 after naps consisting of only NREM sleep (NREM naps). Dream reports from NREM naps were less remarkable in quantity, vividness, and emotion than those from REM naps and were obtained more frequently during the morning hours when the occurrences of REM sleep were highest.

Conclusions: These results suggest that the polysomnographic manifestations of REM sleep are not required for dream experiences but that the mechanisms driving REM sleep alter experiences during NREM sleep in the morning. A subcortical activation similar to REM sleep may occur in human NREM sleep during the morning when REM sleep is most likely to occur, resulting in dream experiences during NREM sleep.

Comparable studies

Other observational and cohort studies on dreaming, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Lucid Dreaming: a State of Consciousness with Features of Both Waking and Non-Lucid Dreaming Student volunteers trained to become lucid and signal lucidity with horizontal eye... 2009 Observational study n = 6
Nightmare Prevalence, Nightmare Distress, and Self-Reported Psychological Disturbance Young adults with a mean age of 20 years 2002 Prospective observational study n = 116
Long-term effects of extreme situational stress on sleep and dreaming Survivors of traumatic events who complained of sleep disturbances, compared with... 1987 Case-control study n = 11
The relationship of nightmare frequency and nightmare distress to well‐being Adults who reported dreams 2004 Observational cohort n = 147
Dreaming in NREM Sleep: A High-Density EEG Study of Slow Waves and Spindles Healthy human subjects 2018 Observational cohort n = 14

Citations in the library

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