Do we wake after each dream/REM?

Hey, so i'm quite new to the forums and recently read on a thread (which I now can't find!) that we wake after every dream or REM period but we just don't remember it, which led to a member of the forum promoting the use of an autosuggestion which consisted of the phrase "I will be aware of waking after each dream."

However, I have just come accross evidence which suggests the opposite, although it was on Wikipidea.

Quote:"The sentinel hypothesis of REM sleep was put forward by Frederic Snyder in 1966. It is based upon the observation that REM sleep in several mammals (the rat, the hedgehog, the rabbit, and the rhesus monkey) is followed by a brief awakening; this does not occur for either cats or humans, although humans are more likely to wake from REM sleep than from non-REM sleep."

The 'hypothsis' here is over 40 years old, so perhaps there is more up to date research which suggests a different answer? If anyone could clear this up for me or point me in the direction of more recent research it would be great!

Skepticsnake

On my nights of clearest memories (of dreamland), I wake up between each dream.

This is indeed the way I want it - keeping a journal of the "odd" things that happen keep me aware of patterns that exist in my dreams and make me even more able to lucid dream.

If I remember correctly, Stephen LaBerge wrote in his book, exploring the world of lucid dreaming, that you do wake after every REM period. He can be seen as a reliable source.

Thanks a lot Hot Chocolate, i'll be sure to check out the book, i've yet to read any lucid dreaming books, this one seems like a god place to start.

Skepticsnake

I checked the book last night and he says something like: ''It's generally accepted among dream researches that if you remember anything from a dream you have awakened from it." Maybe he also said that you always wake, but I couldn't find that last night.

I wish I could wake up after each REM/Dream, but sadly I do not. :(
Anyway you can train yourself to do so, most of the time. Some drink a large glass of water before going to bed (Wakes them up after REM so they can go to the bathroom). Others just mentally tell themselves they will wake up after REM.

There is actually a pretty good chance that you wake up and you don't remember. Since you wake up and then go right back to sleep, you quickly forget it just like your dreams.

At times when I am trying my best to write down every dream in a dream journal I have remembered like 4 or 5 dreams a night. Which means I woke up 4 or 5 times.

You don't always wake after REM, but you do frequently. If you don't wake all the way, you come close to it before dropping back into sleep. The practical thing to understand, is that you can easily wake after every dream if you try.

Well thanks for the feedback, i use autosuggestion to wake after dreams, it usually works twice a night for me whiach is great.

Its funny though, to think that rats, hedgehogs, rabbits, and rhesus monkeys, among probably many other animals are better euipped in some respects to DEILD than us as they wake breifly after each dream. If only we could harness that ability... considering brain transplant!

Skepticsnake

It is entirely possible to wake up after each dream.

There are 2 pre-requisities:
1) A bit longer than usual sleep cycle (9 hours vs 8)
2) Drinking water

With a bit of training you can reliably wake up after each dream, but this is mostly the consequence of actively practicing this and increased awareness.

You can remember dreams without waking up immediately afterward.

I find that if I dont wake after I dream I remember nothing.. Maybe that's just me, I know some people can remember a number of dreams in the morning without even thinking about it.

Skepticsnake

Quote:

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Originally Posted by skepticsnake

I find that if I dont wake after I dream I remember nothing.. Maybe that's just me, I know some people can remember a number of dreams in the morning without even thinking about it.

Skepticsnake

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Dream recall is a skill that we can always improve upon. I personally always have to think about it.

The more you remember your dreams and write them down, the easier it will be to remember dreams you had that link to the dream you had just before waking. Try and remember what you did yesterday, but backwards, starting with going to sleep, then getting ready for bed, eating dinner, and such, all the way back to waking up. It works something like that.