SPONTANEOUS AWAKING AND DREAMING IN PATIE NTS WITH PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL SLEEP DISORDERS

The effect of dreaming on the formation of psycho-physiological sleep disorders is studied by an investigation of 26 patients and 15 control persons who were interviewed as to the occurence of dream memory afte r spontanous awaking and after being awaken systematically in the slee p laboratory. It turned out that the patients had less dream memory th an the control persons after spontanous awaking from REM sleep, but th ey did not differ after being awaken. In addition, dream reports after spontanous awaking from REM sleep contained more abstract dream thoug hts and less visible dream action. These findings are interpreted as a manifestation of disturbed ''dream work'' in patients with psychophys iological sleep disorders, i.e. disturbance of connecting thoughts and scenes from the unconscious. Thus, awaking in sleep disorder is inter preted to be a progression into awakeness as a matter of defense.