Posted by & filed under Psychology Update.

TITLE

5 Freaky Facts About Nightmares
Science demystifies your creepiest nighttime visions.

DESCRIPTION

Researchers made use of correlation and case study reports to collect common themes that are classified as nightmares.  Nightmares are viewed as highly emotionally intense states that often wake up the dreamer and are reported as worse than just a bad dream.  The study looked at common themes and drew a number of conclusions which are listed below from the Huffington Post article.

1 — “Nightmares may be your brain’s way of releasing anxiety.”
2 — “Your nightmares aren’t unique.”
3 — “Trying to interpret your nightmares probably won’t get you very far.”
4 — “Men tend to dream of natural disasters, while women dream of relationship troubles.”
5 — “Nightmares are linked to some sleep disorders.”

SOURCE

Huffington Post, October 29, 2015, by Carolyn Gregoire

Original Source:
Sleep, volume 37, issue 02

Robert G; Zadra A., (2014;37(2)), Thematic and content analysis of idiopathic nightmares and bad dreams. SLEEP 2014;37(2):409-417.

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/facts-about-nightmares_5628f71ee4b0aac0b8fbcf8b?ir=Science%253Fncid%253Dnewsltushpmg00000003

(shortened URL)  http://tinyurl.com/pbshycr

Link to original:   http://dx.doi.org/10.5665/sleep.3426

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

•Have the students first discuss the stages of sleep after reading the article in conjunction with the textbook chapter.
•What happens during REM sleep?  How is it studied in the laboratory?
•Historically in “early” Psychology, how have dreams been studied?  (Freud and Jung)
•What is the difference between a nightmare and a bad dream?
•If the professor is comfortable with students’ anecdotes of their own experience, how do these fit together with the 5 facts of the article?

 

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