Sleep Science Podcast

We spend a third of our lives sleeping, and this podcast is all about understanding sleep. We know a lot about what the brain does in sleep, but we are just starting to understand why it does some of these things, and even more excitingly, how we can take full advantage of sleep and also manipulate it for our own ends. In each episode, neuroscientist Penny Lewis interviews a different sleep researcher, talking about a various aspect of sleep science. Topics will include sleep physiology and medicine, circadian rhythm, how sleep impacts on our memories and creativity, Sleep Engineering for enhanced health and cognition, and the most recent technologies to promote sleep.©SleepSciencePodcast 2021. These materials may be downloaded for personal use only. They may not be shared, distributed or reproduced in any form or for any reason without express permission

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Sleep Science Podcast

S2E3 - Tore Nielsen & Mark Blagrove - Lucid Dreaming & the 'Dream-lag' effect

July 07, 2021 • Season 2 • Episode 3

In this episode, we talk to Professor Tore Nielsen from the University of Montreal and Professor Mark Blagrove from Swansea University.

In part 2 of this two part episode, we carry on our discussion about nightmares and talk about Tore's work on imagery rehearsal. A process where the dreamer rehearses their nightmares finding solutions to them in waking life in order to reduce stress and anxiety around nightmares and find more control in their dream life.

Then we move on to lucid dreaming and how this differs from imagery rehearsal. We take a look at Mark's work on how lucid dreamers have more control in their waking life and go on to discuss the possibly positive and negative effects lucid dreams may have on our REM dreams.

Finally, we discuss work from both guests on the dream-lag effect. This phenomenon, first discovered by Tore, occurs when life events are incorporated into dreams the night after the event and also 5-7 days after, but not in between. We discuss how the dream-lag effect was discovered and how it only appears to happen in REM dreams. We also discuss what this may means biologically and what impact it may have on memory consolidation.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

If you haven't already listened to it, part 1 of this episode is available on all podcast platforms.

If you would like to find out more about either Tore's or Mark's work, check out the links below. Tore's page here and Mark's page here .

Here are links to some of the studies mentioned in the podcast:

o Imagery Rehearsal
o Control in lucid dreamers
o Discovery of the dream-lag effect
o Replication of the dream-lag effect
o The dream lag-effect and significant personal events

Glossary of terms

Lucid Dreaming - This is a type of dreaming where the dreamer is aware they are dreaming. The dreamer in some cases can have control over the dream content.

Metacognition - Where one is aware of their own thinking and thoughts.

Idiopathic - A disease or condition which seems to have no known cause or appears spontaneously.

Dream-lag effect - A phenomena where life events are incorporated into dreams the night after the event and also 6-7 days after, but not in between.

****If you think we need to add a term or two here, please let us know****.

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Episode produced by Sophie Smith