Final Presentation

English for M1 2024-2025

The Purpose of Dreams

Emotional Processing and Regulation During REM Sleep

GUNKAYA Océane & DEHEZ Pauline

The Captivating World of Dreams

• Dreams represent a fascinating and mysterious frontier of our mind.

• Science is still debating their usefulness

BUT Recent research suggests dreams are crucial for emotional processing, impacting mental health.

Cherry, K. (2024)

"Dreams are the royal road to the unconscious."

— Sigmund Freud

The stages of sleep

1. Light Sleep 2. Deep Sleep 3. REM Sleep * moment of dreams* 😴 😴 😴

Key Articles in Our Research

Gujar et al. (2011) Focus: How REM sleep recalibrates the brain's sensitivity to emotions. Implication: REM sleep helps the brain adjust its responses to emotions, improving emotional regulation in daily life.

Conte, F et al. (2021)

Focus: how sleep quality influences emotional experiences during wakefulness and in dreams Implication: how important good sleep is for emotional balance and suggest that improving sleep could boost emotional well-being

Gujar et al. (2011)

A Role for REM Sleep in Recalibrating the Sensitivity of the Human Brain to Specific Emotions

Introduction

• Role of REM sleep in modulating emotional reactivity. Levin et Nielsen (2009)

• Hypothesis: Emotional reactivity is not stable and is influenced by sleep. Benca et al. (1992)

• REM sleep may recalibrate emotional responses, particularly negative emotions such as fear and anger. Walker (2009a, 2009b)

Methode

• 36 healthy participants (18-30 years)
• Randomly assigned into two groups :

TEST :

• Recognition of emotional facial expressions

--> (at 12 PM and 5 PM)

• Assess the intensity of four emotions (fear, sadness, anger, and happiness) expressed by human faces
• on a scale from 1 to 4

"Nap" group and the "No-Nap" group

90 minutes

RESULTS

In the "No Nap" group, reactivity to expressions of anger and fear increased

In the "Nap" group, reactivity to fear decreased + reactivity to happy expressions increased

Participants who reached REM sleep showed this emotional modulation

Figure 1. Change in emotional reactivity (Gujar et al, 2011)

Info

Discussion

Major clinical implications --> mood disorders, where dysfunction of REM sleep (Benca et al., 1992; Harvey, 2008)

Sleep, and more specifically REM sleep, has a modulatory influence on emotional reactivity

Decrease in noradrenergic and serotonergic activity during REM sleep⇒ reduces activation to threatening stimuli and increases receptivity to positive stimuli (Phan et al., 2002)

CONCLUSION

• Emotional reactivity is dynamic and can be influenced by REM sleep.
• The latter helps reduce sensitivity to negative emotions while improving the perception of positive emotions.
• New perspectives on the importance of sleep in the regulation of emotions
• Applications in the treatment of mood disorders

Conte et al. (2021)

The effects of sleep quality on dream and waking emotions.

Introduction

• Exploring how sleep quality affects emotions.

• Goes beyond the basics of “getting enough sleep.”

• Looks at emotional impact during dreams and throughout the day.

Materials and Methods

• Assessment Tool : PSQI (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index)

• Dream Diary : Recorded dream emotions

• Daily Emotional Record : Documented emotional states during the day

• Purpose : To find connections between sleep quality and emotions

Results

Poor sleep quality linked to negative emotions in dreams (e.g., sadness, frustration).

Negative dream emotions also influenced daytime emotions

Poor sleep quality ↔︎ more emotional negativity in both dreams and waking life.

Discussion

LIMITATIONS

Highlights emotional impact of sleep quality.

Self-reported data may be biased

No control for other factors like stress.

Poor sleep affects more than physical well-being—it impacts emotional sensitivity.

CONCLUSION

• Good sleep is essential for both physical and emotional well-being.

• Potential for future research to explore improving sleep quality as a way to boost emotional health.

• Good sleep is essential for both physical and emotional well-being.

• Potential for future research to explore improving sleep quality as a way to boost emotional health.

comparison

Objectives:

• Impact on emotional reactivity to external stimuli (fear, anger).
• Influence on emotions during wakefulness and in dreams.

Methodology:

• Experimental Approachnal
• Self-Report

Focus:

• External Emotional Reactions
• Internal Emotional Experiences

dissimilarity

• REM Sleep's Role: Crucial for managing emotions like fear and anger and boost positive ones.

• Emotional Balance: REM sleep helps maintain stable emotional responses.

• Impact of Sleep Quality: Poor sleep disrupts emotional regulation, increasing anxiety and depression risk.

• Essential for Well-being: Quality sleep is vital for emotional health.

similar

Conte, F et al. (2021) Gujar et al. (2011)

Conclusion

Main Takeaways

1. REM sleep : Essential for reducing negativity and boosting positivity. 2. Long-term sleep quality : Impacts emotional balance in waking and dreaming states . 3. Effects vary by timeframe : Immediate impact (e.g., post-nap). Cumulative effects based on overall sleep patterns. 4. Dreams as reflections of emotion : Poor sleep disrupts their regulatory role

Why this articles are important ?

• perspectives for psychology, in the clinical field.

• beneficial for patients with mood disorders (depression or anxiety).

• new avenues to incorporate sleep-related approaches into therapy : cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia.

--> we could better understand and address emotional difficulties, while also optimizing overall well-being for our patients.

We hope we haven't put you to sleep, but we wish you sweet dreams!

bibliography

• Gujar, N., McDonald, S. A., Nishida, M., & Walker, M. P. (2011). A Role for REM Sleep in Recalibrating the Sensitivity of the Human Brain to Specific Emotions. Cerebral Cortex, 21(1), 115‑123. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhq064
• Conte, F., Cellini, N., De Rosa, O., Rescott, M. L., Malloggi, S., Giganti, F., & Ficca, G. (2021). The Effects of Sleep Quality on Dream and Waking Emotions. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020431
• Cherry, K. (2024). Why Do We Dream? Understanding Dream Theories. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/why-do-we-dream-top-dream-theories-2795931

NAP group

Figure 2. Differential impact of REM on the change in emotion reactivity (Gujar et al, 2011)