Is it true that you dream constantly?

[chamin]

Normally I consider myself familiar with sleep and its phases. For example I know that you sleep throughout the REM phase and sometimes nREM although the dreams there aren't as vivid. but a while ago I've read from people who believe that you literally dream constantly. Like even all throughout nRem sleep there are dreams, or at least dream-like experiences like night terrors and that could also be called dreams.

At first it feels a little weird to think dreams are constant thing but it sort of seems to make sense when you consider you're right on the edge of consciousness when you sleep.

What are your own thoughts?

Edited December 16, 2014 by chamin

[Phi for All]

For example I know that you sleep throughout the REM phase and sometimes nREM although the dreams there aren't as vivid. but a while ago I've read from people who believe that you literally dream constantly. Like even all throughout nRem sleep there are dreams, or at least dream-like experiences like night terrors and that could also be called dreams.

 

"Read from people"? Can you link to this study?

[CharonY]

As far as I know (which is not much) intense dreams, i.e. those that you may be able to recall, happen during heightened brain activities, which is during REM sleep. However, there is obviously activity also in other stages and transitions from one phase to another. I assume it is therefore possible that dreams or dream-like states also exist in these phases. However, they are likely less intense. Muscle atonia typically is initiated during REM sleep, which inhibits acting out dreams, whereas in the other phases it is normally not the case. Intense feelings, such as night terrors typically result in awakening rather than continued dreaming.

 

It would also depend on the precise definition of what a dream is, and I am not versed enough in the subject to know how it is used in medical contexts.

[chamin]

 

"Read from people"? Can you link to this study?

No I can't sadly.

I don't think it was a study either, just a belief that some people had.

I didn't consider it likely but now it seems pretty plausible, but still weird to think about.

And yeah it seems like there are multiple definitions of dreams, as well as what consciousness/subconsciousness/etc are.

[CharonY]

However, if we refer to dreams the actual vivid recollection/experiencing of events, then it is most likely limited to or close to REM sleep, as otherwise you would be flailing around a lot.

[Ophiolite]

Another major difference between REM and non-REM sleep lies in the dreams associated with them. For most people the few dreams found in non-REM sleep tend to -have a rather thought-like character. During REM sleep, on the other hand, dreams occur more frequently and usually have a perceptual vividness and the illogical episodic character with which we are all familiar.

 

From: Crick,F. & Mitcheson, G. The Function of Dream Sleep Nature Vol. 304 July 1983

 

To test whether mental activities collected from non-REM sleep are influenced by REM sleep, we suppressed REM sleep using clomipramine 50 mg (an antidepressant) or placebo in the evening, in a double blind cross-over design, in 11 healthy young men. Subjects were awakened every hour and asked about their mental activity. The marked (81%, range 39–98%) REM-sleep suppression induced by clomipramine did not substantially affect any aspects of dream recall (report length, complexity, bizarreness, pleasantness and self-perception of dream or thought-like mentation). Since long, complex and bizarre dreams persist even after suppressing REM sleep either partially or totally, it suggests that the generation of mental activity during sleep is independent of sleep stage.

 

From: Oudiette, D. Dreaming without REM sleep Consciousness and Cognition Vol. 21-3 2012

 

And many hundreds more on Google Scholar.