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Why we have nightmares: scientists reveal that increased activity in the left side of the brain is why we have angry dreams – and this could lead to treatments for people who relive traumatic events in their sleep
- The researchers examined the brains of participants who also described their dreams
- Angry dreams have been associated with an imbalance of frontal brain activity
- The same anger as sleep and waking could be caused by the same mechanism
- Results could pave the way for new treatments for nightmares in people with PTSD
Scientists who study our brains while we sleep may have finally found the secret of the wrath of our dreams.
Experts have discovered that an imbalance between the two brain regions located to the left and right is causing disturbing nightmares.
An indicator sign is an effect called frontal alpha asymmetry, in which a specific type of brain activity is more intense on one side of the brain.
The results come from studies of 17 healthy volunteers whose brain was scanned before, during, and after sleep.
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After five minutes of REM sleep, the researchers woke sleeping participants and asked them to describe their dreams and evaluate their emotions. (Stock Image)
Researchers from the UK, Finland and Sweden have examined how our brain regulates emotions such as anger and curiosity when we dream at night.
Study participants spent two nights in a sleep laboratory, where researchers conducted electroencephalographic (or EEG) recordings of their brain activity for short periods before, during, and after sleep.
Among the volunteers were 7 men and 10 women, all in good health.
Experts found that participants who had less brain activity in their right frontal cortex than in his left counterpart when they were awake and during their REM sleep had more anger in their dreams.
"It has been shown that the expression of anger is related to a relatively larger number of [frontal activity], while the control of anger is linked to a relatively more frontal right activity, "said lead author Pilleriin Sikka, a researcher at the University of Turku in Finland.
"Anger was felt in 41% of dreams, the interest for 88% of dreams.
& # 39; Experienced participantsIt took more anger in the dreams than in the evening awakening, while the ratings of anger in the morning and evening did not differ.
Researchers say the telltale sign of bad dreams is a signature called frontal alpha asymmetry, researchers report. The results come from studies of 17 healthy volunteers (stock photo) _
The experts looked for signs that participants were experiencing REM sleep.
This cycle of our sleep patterns is characterized by rapid eye movements, faster pulse, faster breathing, body movements and more dreams.
The researchers woke participants up after a five-minute period of REM sleep.
They then asked the sleepers to describe their dreams and evaluate their emotions.
From these dream stories, the experts labeled the emotional states of the participants' dreams – such as "anger" or "interest".
The only other emotional dream state with a significant correlation with frontal alpha asymmetry during REM sleep was a condition closely related to anger – suspicion or suspicion.
The findings suggest that this pattern of brain activity is a good way to predict how people control their emotions.
Previous studies have linked frontal alpha asymmetry with anger and general self-regulation while being awake.
New discoveries could help researchers understand and potentially mitigate the emotional content of nightmares.
These can be a painful symptom of many mental and sleep disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder.
The complete results of the study were published in the journal JNeurosci.
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