Sleeping Pills and Dream Content

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Abstract
Almost all sleep-promoting drugs distort the natural pattern of sleep by suppressing rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and cause a rebound to above-normal values on withdrawal which typically lasts about six weeks (Oswald, 1968, 1969). Furthermore, barbiturates reduce the number of eye movementsper unit timein REM sleep (Oswaldet al., 1963; Baekeland, 1967; Lesteret al., 1968; Feinberget al., 1969), with a rebound in eye movement (EM) profusion on withdrawal (Oswald, 1970). Non-barbiturate hypnotics do likewise, also with a rebound in EM profusion on withdrawal (Allenet al., 1968; Lewis, 1968).