EFFECTS OF A STRESSFUL PRESLEEP EXPERIENCE ON ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHRECORDED SLEEP

Abstract

ABSTRACT The effects on experimentally uninterrupted sleep of two films, one psychologically stressful and the other neutral, both seen just before bed, were studied in 12 male S s on 2 nights according to a balanced design. EEG and electro‐ocu‐logram recordings were made of the first 6 hours of sleep. The stress film significantly increased the number of awakenings associated with rapid eye‐movement periods (REMPs), but not that of non‐REM sleep awakenings, as well as the proportion of REMPs terminated by spontaneous awakenings. It furthermore increased the frequency of REMs (REM density) during REMPs. These results suggest that the stress film produced a specific REM sleep disturbing effect via anxiety which carried over into the S s’ sleep and dreams, and that it increased REM density secondary to drive enhancement.