Dreaming and waking: similarities and differences revisited

Dreaming is often characterized as lacking high-order cognitive (HOC) skills. In two studies, we test the alternative hypothesis that the dreaming mind is highly similar to the waking mind. Multiple experience samples were obtained from late-night REM sleep and waking, following a systematic protocol described in Kahan (2001). Results indicated that reported dreaming and waking experiences are surprisingly similar in their cognitive and sensory qualities. Concurrently, ratings of dreaming and waking experiences were markedly different on questions of general reality orientation and logical organization (e.g., the bizarreness or typicality of the events, actions, and locations). Consistent with other recent studies (e.g., [Bulkeley and Kahan, 2008] and [Kozmová and Wolman, 2006] ), experiences sampled from dreaming and waking were more similar with respect to their process features than with respect to their structural features.     

Cognitive and emotional processes during dreaming: a neuroimaging view

Dream is a state of consciousness characterized by internally-generated sensory, cognitive and emotional experiences occurring during sleep. Dream reports tend to be particularly abundant, with complex, emotional, and perceptually vivid experiences after awakenings from rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. This is why our current knowledge of the cerebral correlates of dreaming, mainly derives from studies of REM sleep. Neuroimaging results show that REM sleep is characterized by a specific pattern of regional brain activity. We demonstrate that this heterogeneous distribution of brain activity during sleep explains many typical features in dreams. Reciprocally, specific dream characteristics suggest the activation of selective brain regions during sleep. Such an integration of neuroimaging data of human sleep, mental imagery, and the content of dreams is critical for current models of dreaming; it also provides neurobiological support for an implication of sleep and dreaming in some important functions such as emotional regulation.     

Morningness-eveningness, use of stimulants, and minor psychiatric disorders among undergraduate students

Morningness–eveningness dimension in humans have been indicated to influence social behavior and individual health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of the morningness–eveningness dimension with behavioral and health aspects in a sample of undergraduate students. We assessed demographic data; the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to evaluate sleep quality; the Morningness/Eveningness Questionnaire to determine morningness–eveningness, and the Self‐Reporting Questionnaire to assess minor psychiatric disorders. A total of 372 students (66.7% females), on average 21.6 years old, participated in this study. Among them, 92.2% did not smoke, 58.9% engaged in physical activities, and 19.7% were night‐shift workers. In regard to morningness–eveningness, 55.9% of the participants were intermediate between evening (39.5%) and morning (4.6%) types. Poor sleep quality (OR = 1.89), minor psychiatric disorders (OR = 1.92), and tobacco consumption (OR = 3.65) predominated among evening types. Evening types were predominantly males (OR = 1.72). This study suggests that evening types are more vulnerable to sleep and psychiatric disturbances, and tend to smoke more than morning types.     

Effects of prone and supine positions on sleep state and stress responses in preterm infants

Aim

The purpose of the study is to assess the influence of prone or supine position on sleep states and on withdrawal and approach reactions of preterm infants.

Methods

Thirty-two preterm infants from Meir Medical Center, Israel, mean post menstrual age 30.37 ± 2.57, mean birth weight 1250 g ± 313.86, participated in the study. Infants were studied during 48 h. Positions (prone and supine) were alternated every 3-4 h after feedings. Sleep states were assessed by Actigraph measurement and by two daily 30-min Naturalistic Observations of Newborn Behavior (NONB) to confirm sleep states and for recording the behavioral reactions (approach and withdrawal).

Results

In the prone position there were more approach reactions as compared to withdrawal reactions (p < .001) while in the supine position, the approach and withdrawal reactions were comparable. In the prone position more sleep patterns (deep sleep, light sleep, drowsy) were observed as opposed to more awake patterns (quiet awake, active awake and agitated fussy) that were seen in the supine position.

Conclusions

Clinical implications encourage placing the preterm infant in the prone position while in the NICU. This enables important achievements such as longer periods of quality sleep, and production of adaptive self-regulatory reactions.     

Habitual computer game playing at night is related to depressive symptoms

This study investigated whether the amount and circadian time of habitual computer game playing were related to depressive symptoms in adolescents and young adults. We expected that habitual late playing relates to more depressive symptoms beyond the effect of the total time of computer game playing as playing at night may involve short, irregular, and disturbed sleep as well as misalignment of the circadian rhythm. 646 adolescents and young adults (ages 13–30; 90.9% males) who play the internet role-playing game World of Warcraft completed an online questionnaire. Habitual computer game playing between 10 pm and 6 am was related to an increased risk of high depression scores independent of the total amount of playing. Adolescents (ages 13–17 years) were most vulnerable when habitually playing during early night (i.e., 10–12 pm), while emergent adults (ages 18–22 years) showed more vulnerability when habitually playing late at night (i.e., after 2 am). The effect was partly mediated by daytime sleepiness but not by sleep loss or insomnia problems.     

Dreamless Sleep and the Whole of Human Life: An Ontological Exposition

This paper explores the meaning of dreamless sleep. First, I consider four reasons why we commonly pass over sleep’s ontological significance. Second, I compare and contrast death and sleep to show how each is oriented to questions regarding the possibilities of “being-a-whole.” In the third and final part, I explore the meaning and implications of “being-toward-sleep,” arguing that human existence emerges atop naturally anonymous corporeality (i.e. living being). In sum, I try to show that we can recover an authentic – if somewhat ambiguous – sense of “being-a-whole” only by recognizing the ontological significance of dreamless sleep.     

Sleep deprivation adversely affects interpersonal responses to frustration

Sleep deprivation produces negative effects on mood and cognitive function, but existing data have almost exclusively utilized objective rating scales, which do not permit evaluation of idiosyncratic and unstructured responses. In this study, we used a semi-projective measure, the Rosenzweig Picture-Frustration (P-F) Study, to assess subjective responses to frustration following two nights without sleep. Twenty-six healthy volunteers completed the P-F at rested baseline and again following 55 h of continuous wakefulness. Participants provided written responses for an ambiguous cartoon character confronted with various frustrating situations. Relative to rested baseline, sleep deprivation was associated with altered responses on several indices, indicating a great number of uncommon types of responses, increased tendency to blame others for problems, and a reduced willingness to alleviate a conflict situation by accepting blame. Individual differences in several aspects of emotional intelligence were predictive of the extent to which responses to frustration changed with sleep loss. These findings suggest that sleep deprivation significantly weakens the inhibition of aggression and willingness to behave in ways that facilitate effective social interaction, possibly through reduced metabolic activity in prefrontal regions of the brain important for personality, affect, and inhibitory behavior.     

Why won’t she sleep? Screen exposure and sleep patterns in young infants

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends infants’ exposure to electronic screen-based media be minimized; however, more research is needed to understand effects of viewing screen-based media. Here, we examine relations between media use and sleep. Data were collected from mothers when their infants (N = 429) were four months of age. Mothers answered questions about the time their infants spent watching electronic screen-based media. Exposure to electronic screen-based media was negatively associated with nighttime sleep (but not daytime sleep), such that an hour of screen time was associated with nearly 13 min less sleep on a typical night.     

Age attenuates noise and increases symmetry of head movements during sleep resting-state fMRI in healthy neonates,infants, and toddlers

Newborns produce spontaneous movements during sleep that are functionally important for their future development. This nuance has been previously studied using animal models and more recently using movement data from sleep resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) scans. Age-related trajectory of statistical features of spontaneous movements of the head is under-examined. This study quantitatively mapped a developmental trajectory of spontaneous head movements during an rs-fMRI scan acquired during natural sleep in 91 datasets from healthy children from ∼birth to 3 years old, using the Open Science Infancy Research upcycling protocol. The youngest participants studied, 2–3 week-old neonates, showed increased noise-to-signal levels as well as lower symmetry features of their movements; noise-to-signal levels were attenuated and symmetry was increased in the older infants and toddlers (all Spearman's rank-order correlations, P < 0.05). Thus, statistical features of spontaneous head movements become more symmetrical and less noisy from birth to ∼3 years in children. Because spontaneous movements during sleep in early life may trigger new neuronal activity in the cortex, the key outstanding question for in vivo, non-invasive neuroimaging studies in young children is not “How can we correct head movement better?” but rather: How can we represent all important sources of neuronal activity that shape functional connections in the still-developing human central nervous system?     

Facebook use and sleep quality: Light interacts with socially induced alertness

It has been demonstrated that the use of social networking sites late at night can lead to sleep‐related problems that extend into the next day. A common explanation is that the light emitted from screens is disrupting the users’ circadian rhythms. An alternative explanation is that the social cognition inherent in the use of social networking sites is responsible. Here, the two factors were looked at together. Participants used Facebook on iPad tablets before sleep. This was done on different nights with two lighting conditions and with two levels of content. In the ‘light’ condition, blue wavelength light was manipulated so that it was either full wavelength or blue light filtered. In the ‘alertness’ condition, the personal significance of the content was changed from personally relevant to irrelevant. A modified version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to measure sleep‐related problems. No evidence was found that simply filtering blue light or simply removing relevant content improved sleep quality. However, the two factors interacted. The results suggest that the light emitted from screens can affect sleep quality under some conditions but this is behaviourally irrelevant in the context of normal Facebook usage.