Scientific American Mind Article

In the Scientific American Mind article “Strange but True: Less Sleep Means More Dreams,” Christie Nicholson investigated the mystery behind sleep deprivation and its affect on dreams. A neurologist at the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorder Center in Minneapolis stated that the reason for why “dreams are often perceived as real and vivid is because of sleep deprivation resulting in a greater brain activity once in a REM stage” (Nicholson, 2007).

Although sleep may seem like a steady state, it actually consists of several stages that cycle throughout the night. Scientists use an apparatus called an electroencephalogram to determine the stage of sleep, that is, the typed of brain waves are presented on amplitudes and frequencies. “The sleep cycle begins with four stages of slow-wave sleep called non-REM. The first stage of non-REM is the nodding off period where one is experiencing a sensation of falling into a hole. The second stage is when the brain activity decreases. Then, stages 3rd and 4th are shut off to which the heart and breathing rates drop dramatically. Lastly, lucid dreams occur in the 5th stage of sleep, known as the REM (rapid eye movement) stage. The most characteristic of REM sleep is the bursts of rapid eye movement while dreaming as well as the most vivid dreaming occurs” (Nicholson, 2007). One complete sleep cycle lasts about 90 to 100 minutes. A person experiences 4 to 5 complete sleep cycles.

In order to study the functions of sleep and the biological mechanisms underlying the effects of sleep deprivation, scientists studied REM deprivation in humans. In this case, a person experiences the stages of sleep. However, the scientists wake the person up once the REM stage occurs, and then the person returns back to sleep. In this case, REM stage is continued but an increase in dream imagery becomes vivid as if the person is hallucinating. In addition, intake of alcohols or drugs would repress REM.

Furthermore, animal studies of REM deprivation are markedly different than human studies. One of the most common ways to REM deprive a rat is to put the animal in a position where it is able to experience slow wave sleep, but not REM. The rat will be awakened immediately upon entering REM, and the lengths of time rats undergo REM are much longer than humans. As a result, “rats die after four weeks of REM deprivations” (Nicholson, 2007). The cause of death remains unknown. Even now, scientists continue to search for answers to why humans spend about 27 years of dreaming over the course of an average life and why it’s important.

I found Nicholson’s article very interesting because it made me think about my sleeping habits. That is, I tend to stay up late studying, and later end up experiencing vivid nightmares. I’ve always experienced such vivid dreams, which has been a problem for me. The reason is that at times I wake up in the middle of the night hearing myself cry in the dream. And last year I had nightmares that felt like I was choking and woke up in a state that I was gasping for air. And so now, after reading her article I understood why at times I experienced such vivid dreams due to sleep deprivation.