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Cited by 136Sleep and Wakefulness ResearchSleep and related disordersSleep and Work-Related Fatigue

Brain-mind states: I. Longitudinal field study of sleep/wake factors influencing mentation report length

Stickgold, Robert, Malia, April, Fosse, Roar, Propper, Ruth, Hobson, J. Allan·2001·Sleep
DOI 10.1093/sleep/24.2.171
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Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To collect and analyze reports of mental activity across sleep/wake states. DESIGN: Mentation reports were collected in a longitudinal design by combining our Nightcap sleep monitor with daytime experience sampling techniques. Reports were collected over 14 days and nights from active and quiet wake, after instrumental awakenings at sleep onset, and after both spontaneous and instrumental awakenings from REM and NREM sleep. SETTING: All reports were collected in the normal home, work and school environments of the subjects. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects included 8 male and 8 female undergraduate students (19-26 years of age). INTERVENTIONS: N/A. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: A total of 1,748 reports, averaging 109 per subject, were collected from active wake across the day (n=894), from quiet wake in the pre-sleep onset period (n=58), from sleep onset (n=280), and from later REM (n=269) and nonREM (n=247) awakenings. Median report lengths varied more than 2-fold, in the order REM > active wake > quiet wake > NREM = sleep onset. The extended protocol allowed many novel comparisons between conditions. In addition, while spontaneous REM reports were longer than those from forced awakenings, the difference was explained by the time within the REM period at which the awakenings occurred. Finally, intersubject differences in REM report lengths were correlated with similar differences in waking report lengths. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the Nightcap sleep monitoring system along with waking experience sampling permits a more complete sampling and analysis of mental activity across the sleep/wake cycle than has been previously possible.

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Crossref · 10.1093/sleep/24.2.171

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  • Early in the night, when stage N3 is prevalent and large slow waves dominate the EEG, awakenings yield few reports.

    “Early in the night, when stage N3 is prevalent and many large slow waves dominate the EEG, awakenings yield few reports[62].”

    From Dreaming and the brain: from phenomenology to neurophysiology (2010) · cites this paper as [62]

    The ‘Circadian and sleep time effects’ section (page unavailable) reports that NREM reports were shorter earlier in the sleep period than later. But the paper measures report length, not whether early-night awakenings yield fewer reports. Its ‘Report collection protocol’ section (page unavailable) distinguishes NREM from REM using movement sensors, not EEG, so it does not establish the claim about N3 or large slow waves. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Approximately 50% to 70% of the time subjects report having a dream upon a sudden waking during sleep, with more dreams reported later in the night.

    “It is notable that approximately 50% to 70% of the time subjects report having a dream upon a sudden waking during sleep, with more dreams being reported later on in the night.10,11”

    From The overfitted brain: Dreams evolved to assist generalization (2021) · cites this paper as [11]

    The Distribution of Reports section gives a 67% recall rate for NREM sleep, within the claimed range, but reports 85% for REM sleep and 87% at sleep onset. The Circadian and sleep time effects section examines report length later in the night, not whether dreams were reported more often then. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • The average length of REM sleep reports increases with the duration of the REM sleep episode, but this is not true for NREM sleep reports.

    “the average length of REM sleep reports increases with the duration of the REM sleep episode while this is not true for NREM sleep reports[62].”

    From Dreaming and the brain: from phenomenology to neurophysiology (2010) · cites this paper as [62]

  • Up to 70% of NREM sleep awakenings yield reports of dream experiences.

    “However, later studies showed that up to 70% of NREM sleep awakenings yield reports of dream experiences 1 .”

    From The neural correlates of dreaming (2017) · cites this paper as [1]

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 10

  1. [1]1. Aserinsky E, Kleitman N. Regularly occurring periods of ocular motility and concomitant phenomena during sleep. Science 1953;118: 361-375.
  2. [10]10. Nielsen TA Mentation in REM and NREM sleep: A review and pos- sible reconciliation of two models. Behavior and Brain Sciences: 2000 in press.
  3. [11]11. Mamelak AN, Hobson, JA Nightcap: A Home-Based Sleep Monitoring System. Sleep 1989;12:157-166.
  4. [13]13. Yun B, Obermeyer W H, Benca RM. Nightcap assessment of home and laboratory sleep. Sleep Research 1997;26:238.
  5. [14]14. Rowley J, Stickgold R, Hobson JA. Eye movement and mental activity at sleep onset. Consciousness and Cognition 1998;7:67-84.
  6. [19]19. Stickgold R, Hobson JA. REM sleep and sleep efficiency are reduced during space flight. Sleep 1999;22: S82.
  7. [21]21. Wolpert EA, Trosman, H. Studies in psychophysiology of dreams. I. Experimental evocation of sequential dream episodes. American Association Archives of Neurology and Psychiatry 1958;79: 603-606.
  8. [28]28. Antrobus JS. Dreaming: cortical activation and perceptual thresh- olds. Journal of Mind and Behavior 1986;7:193-212.
  9. [29]29. Foulkes D. Dreaming and REM sleep. Journal of Sleep Research 1993;2: 199-202.
  10. [34]34. Casagrande M, Violani C, Lucidi F, Buttinelli E, Bertini, M Variations in sleep mentation as a function of time of night. International Journal of Neuroscience 1996;85:19-30.

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Authors
Stickgold, R., Malia, A., Fosse, R., Propper, R., & Hobson, J. A.
Affiliations
Harvard University (US)
Corresponding author
Stickgold, Robert
ORCID
Venue
Sleep
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2001-03
Volume
24
Issue
2
Pages
171-179
ISSN
  • 0161-8105 (ISSN-L)
  • 1550-9109
DOI
10.1093/sleep/24.2.171
OpenAlex
W2427755004
Cited by
136
References
23
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 2
FWCI
1.05
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • SLEEP (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH‐48)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS 26)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
Keywords
sleep-wake states, REM sleep, NREM sleep, sleep onset, spontaneous awakening, ecological momentary assessment, mind-brain relationship
MeSH terms
Adult, Brain, Circadian Rhythm, Dreams, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Psychophysiology, Sleep Stages, Sleep, REM, Time Factors, Wakefulness

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