Understanding Sleep and Dreaming by William H. Moorcroft
Author:William H. Moorcroft
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: Psychology
ISBN: 9780387249650
Publisher: Springer
Published: 2002-01-02T06:00:00+00:00
194
8
Dreaming
Fig. 8.1 The functional
organization of the brain
during REMS showing how it
produces dreaming. Based on
information from
neurophysiological,
neuropsychological and
neuroimaging studies.
Redrawn from (Hobson et al.
2000). Locations of areas in
figure are approximate
8.4.3 Rhythmic Influences on Dreaming
Tore Nielsen (2011), Ph.D., a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry,
University of Montreal where he is the Director of the Dream and Nightmare
Laboratory, has reviewed research that suggests REMS dreaming and NREMS
mentation are shaped by rhythmic influences that emanate from the brain (see Sect.
8.4
The Process of Dreaming
195
3.2.2). These include the 90 min REMS-NREMS ultradian cycle, the sleep-wake circadian rhythm, and the increase in REMS propensity as a night of sleep progresses. While the research done to date is far from conclusive, different aspects of
dreaming seem to be affected, such as the likelihood of a dream or mentation
recall, the length of recall reports, and the intensity of the visual perception.
Nielsen concludes that both the quality and quantity of REMS dreams and
NREMS mentation are varied by one or several ‘‘imagery generators’’ with a
90 min ultradian rhythm. For example, during REMS, dream reports are longest
when obtained during the middle of a REMS period but shorter before or after this;
for NREMS mentation recalls the pattern is just the opposite. That is, the peak of
the ultradian influence is in the middle of the REMS period and lowest during the
middle of the NREMS period. In addition, qualitative aspects such as how vivid,
intense, and dreamlike the recalls are seem also to vary with a 90 min frequency.
Research on REMS dreams and NREMS mentations through the night indicate
circadian and sleep-dependent influences. Changes in the length of dreams as well
as their organization, substance, and how well they are remembered imply cir-
cadian-like variations. Additionally, the reports obtained from the first third of the
sleep period are markedly different in quality from those obtained during
the remainder of the sleep period. For example, REMS dream reports get longer as
the night goes on even if all the reports are gathered after about 5 min into the
REMS period have elapsed. Likewise, the number of events per story, but not the
number of statements in the episode gradually increase during the sleep period.
Also dreams tend to become more realistic and engrossing later in sleep. However,
it is also possible that these qualitative differences may be due to changes in the
length of the reports that also get longer as the night goes on, so these conclusions
have to be considered tentative.
Sleep-dependent influences have also been reported. Compared to shorter
episodes (less than a minute), dreams during longer REMS episodes (over 9 min)
are livelier, more theatrical, and more vibrant, but with more distortion, emo-
tionality, anxiousness, disagreeableness, antagonism, and violence. In addition
there are a greater variety of scenes and more scenes where the imagining is more
clear. Yet elements like believability and reasonableness of the dream remain
constant.
8.5 Conclusion
Dreams, like sleep, occur between two periods of wakefulness. They are influ-
enced by prior waking and can influence subsequent waking. Cartwright captures
this with the title of her book The Twenty-four Hour Mind (2010). Earlier in
history and in other cultures people had other views of the sources of
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