The effect of dream report collection and dream incorporation on memory consolidation during sleep
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Abstract
Collecting dream reports typically requires waking subjects up from their sleep—a method that has been used to study the relationship between dreams and memory consolidation. However, it is unclear whether these awakenings influence sleep‐associated memory consolidation processes. Furthermore, it is unclear how the incorporation of the learning task into dreams is related to memory consolidation. In this study we compared memory performance in a word–picture association learning task after a night with and without awakenings in 22 young and healthy participants. We then examined if the stimuli from the learning task are successfully incorporated into dreams, and if this incorporation is related to the task performance the next morning. We show that while the awakenings impaired both subjective and objective sleep quality, they did not affect sleep‐associated memory consolidation. When dreams were collected during the night by awakenings, memories of the learning task were successfully incorporated into dreams. When dreams were collected in the morning, no incorporations were detected. Task incorporation into non‐rapid eye movement sleep dreams, but not rapid eye movement sleep dreams positively predicted memory performance the next morning. We conclude that the method of awakenings to collect dream reports is suitable and necessary for dream and memory studies. Furthermore, our study suggests that dreams in non‐rapid eye movement rather than rapid eye movement sleep might be related to processes of memory consolidation during sleep.
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When recent experiences appear in dreams, even in fragmentary form, subsequent memory for those experiences is improved.
“Importantly, when recent experiences appear in dreams, even in fragmentary form, subsequent memory for those experiences is improved.”
From Constructive episodic simulation in dreams (2022) · cites this paper as [35]
The Results section ('Relationship between dream incorporation and retention performance'; page unavailable) reports better overnight memory retention when task-related picture categories appeared in NREM dreams, after correcting for chance incorporations. The Methods section ('Sleep and dream analysis'; page unavailable) shows that incorporation could be a broad category rather than a complete replay of an experience. The claim overgeneralizes the finding: the association was not significant for REM dreams, and the study does not establish that dreaming of an experience causes improved memory for that particular experience. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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- Authors
- Schoch, S. F., Cordi, M. J., Schredl, M., & Rasch, B.
- Affiliations
- University of Zurich (CH)
- University of Fribourg (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Rasch, Björn
- Venue
- Journal of Sleep Research
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2018-08-08
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- e12754-e12754
- ISSN
- 0962-1105 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2869
- PMC
- PMC6378621
- OpenAlex
- W2951204969
- Cited by
- 34
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2
- FWCI
- 1.64
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Sleep Research (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (SNF 100014_162388, P0ZHP1_178697)
- H2020 European Research Council (677875)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Keywords
- dream narrative, memory consolidation, sleep, NREM sleep, REM sleep, sleep quality, dream content
- MeSH terms
- Memory Consolidation, Adult, Dreams, Female, Humans, Male, Sleep, Polysomnography, Young Adult
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