Thread: Dopamine vs serotonin.

Not sure out of those two but Im almost certain that the neurotransmitter that has the greatest affect on lucid dreaming is acetylcholine. If I had to guess out of those two, and it would be a blind guess, I would say dopamine since it has more wakefulness effects than serotonin.

But then again increasing serotonin levels often makes it easier to fall asleep, and if it is short acting enough it could help you attain the REM rebound effect by suppressing REM sleep a bit in the first part of a night. There are more than likely others here who could better answer your question though. I just figured I'd give it a shot since no one else has yet.

"serotonin plays a definite role in sleep cycles, as high levels of serotonin are associated with wakefulness and lower levels with sleep. Serotonin also is synthesized by the pineal gland to make melatonin, the hormone that is directly related to healthy sleep."

"Over the years, people have noticed that taking 5-HTP increases dream vividness. This really isn’t so surprising, as lots of research has correlated increased serotonin levels with dream vividness. A classic article comes from the early aughts, when psychiatrist Edward Pace-Schott and his merry crew reported that subjects on SSRIs (serotonin reuptake inhibitors) reported much longer dream reports than normal, as well as more dream bizarreness in the content. Translation note: “dream bizarreness” does not just mean magical fluffy bunnies but also includes nightmarish creatures and unsettling imagery" What are the Effects of 5-HTP on Dreams? | dream studies portal

"A number of animal studies and studies in human populations strongly supports the idea that dopamine is central to REM physiology, dream recall and dream content."

"The authors integrate recent neurophysiological, neuroimaging, and clinical findings that point to significant activation of the mesolimbic dopaminergic (ML-DA) reward system during both NREM (N2 in humans, SWS in rats) and REM sleep. With regard to REM dopamine bursting activity within the ventral tegmental area is elevated. This is significant because this is precisely what occurs in the waking brain when it is processing stimuli that is surprising or of special significance." https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...ine-and-dreams

A increase of both I think would be best.

Nice work Valis! Thanks for filling us in. I was right on one thing I said lol that someone could do a better job of explaining this than I could!