Nature and science of sleep
January 1, 2020
Anita D'Anselmo, Sergio Agnoli, Marco Filardi et al.
19 citations
People with type 1 narcolepsy who experience hypnagogic hallucinations (vivid dream-like sensations at sleep onset) show greater creative achievement and potential. In a study of 66 patients, spontaneous mind wandering was linked to creative success, but this link was strengthened by the presence of both sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations. These hallucinations also shaped patients' creative identity, which in turn predicted higher creative performance on a divergent thinking test (generating original solutions) and real-world creative achievement. The findings suggest that hypnagogic hallucinations trigger mind-wandering processes and influence self-concept, together boosting creativity in narcolepsy.
Nature and science of sleep
January 1, 2025
Benjamin Stucky
6 citations
A review of 69 awakening studies from 2000 to 2024 found that how people are awakened and their personal traits strongly affect whether they recall dreams or thoughts upon waking. Recall rates were lower when an alarm was used compared to calling a participant's name, and recall decreased over multiple study days. People awakened at home reported more experiences than those in a lab. Participant characteristics beyond age and sex, such as openness to experience, also influenced recall. These factors can alter study outcomes, including the identification of neural correlates of consciousness, so greater attention to awakening methods and participant traits is needed.
Nature and science of sleep
January 1, 2023
Serena Scarpelli, Valentina Alfonsi, Milena Camaioni et al.
3 citations
Dream recall, nightmares, lucid dreams, and emotional intensity all decreased between the first and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in a large Italian sample. People whose general psychological distress improved during that period reported fewer nightmares and less nightmare distress than those whose distress stayed the same or worsened. Poor sleep hygiene was a strong predictor of nightmare distress among the group that did not improve. The findings suggest that people adapted to the pandemic over time and that nightmares are closely tied to well-being, with both stable traits (age, sex) and sleep-related factors influencing nightmare features.
Nature and science of sleep
January 1, 2025
David R Schreier, Matteo Fecchio, Christian S Guay et al.
Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is a sedative that produces a sleep-like state and offers a way to study shifts in consciousness using behavior, EEG, and TMS-evoked EEG responses. Little is known about how repeated DEX exposure affects recovery. This pilot trial plans to sedate 12 healthy volunteers twice, one week apart, monitoring responsiveness with an auditory click task. It will compare time to return of responsiveness between visits, explore sex differences, and assess state transitions via EEG signatures, TMS-evoked complexity, and cognitive tests. The study also evaluates the feasibility of TMS-EEG during DEX sedation and reports on sleep quality and experiences.