REM Sleep Theta Changes in Frequent Nightmare Recallers

To replicate and expand upon past research by evaluating sleep and wake electroencephalographic spectral activity in samples of frequent nightmare (NM) recallers and healthy controls.

Computation of spectral activity for sleep (non-REM and REM) and wake electroencephalogram recordings from 18 frequent NM recallers and 15 control participants.

There was higher "slow-theta" (2-5 Hz) for NM recallers than for controls during wake, non-REM sleep and REM sleep. Differences were clearest for frontal and central derivations and for REM sleep cycles 2-4. There was also higher beta activity during NREM sleep for NM recallers. Findings partially replicate past research by demonstrating higher relative "slow-theta" (3-4Hz) for NM recallers than for controls.

Findings are consistent with a neurocognitive model of nightmares that stipulates cross-state anomalies in emotion processing in NM-prone individuals.