SLEEP MENTATION AND AUDITORY AWAKENING THRESHOLDS

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Abstract
Auditory awakening thresholds (AATs) were assessed in 53 Ss during all stages of sleep and at various times of night. Sixteen of these Ss met previously devised criteria for an AAT light‐sleep group (LSG) and 16 for an AAT deep‐sleep group (DSG). Reports of mental activity were collected during awakenings from REM and NREM sleep and rated on a standard questionnaire by Ss and independent judges. The REM mentation of the LSG and DSG did not differ. However, LSG Ss reported dreaming after 71% of their NREM awakenings, while DSG Ss claimed to have been dreaming after only 21% of their NREM awakenings. This difference was supported by other rating scales and by the independent judges. An hypothesis was offered which suggests that dreaming is a function of the level of cerebral arousal in the absence of reality contact, regardless of the stage of sleep, and that LSG Ss, as evidenced by several criteria, were more cerebrally aroused during NREM sleep than DSG Ss.

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