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The Effects of Drugs on Dreaming

The Effects of Drugs on Dreaming. By Mackenzie Malone & Dan Rutkowski. Content. Thesis Functions of Sleeping and Dreaming How Drugs Affect the Brain Drugs Affects on Sleep Patterns Alcohol’s Affects Ancient Use Common Causes Drugs That Increase REM Sleep Dream Study

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The Effects of Drugs on Dreaming

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  1. The Effects of Drugs on Dreaming • By Mackenzie Malone • & Dan Rutkowski

  2. Content • Thesis • Functions of Sleeping and Dreaming • How Drugs Affect the Brain • Drugs Affects on Sleep Patterns • Alcohol’s Affects • Ancient Use • Common Causes • Drugs That Increase REM Sleep • Dream Study • Dreaming & Drugs in Popular Literature • Sources

  3. Thesis • Drugs and alcohol effect our ability to properly dream which suggests that we are vulnerable to change in this state of consciousness.

  4. 4 Functions of sleeping and dreaming • Dreams occur during REM sleep, which is the rapid eye movement stage of sleep that begins after the last stage of deep sleep (Stibich, 2001). • REM sleep is especially important because it stimulates the areas of the brain that are used in learning and storing memories. (Harris, 2008). • They are necessary to develop and preserve neural pathways and make sense of neural static in the brain. They also file away memories and reflect cognitive development (Myers, 2011). • Drugs negatively affect our dreams in the way that it interrupts with our natural sleep process. During this vulnerable state, dreams are affected by even the slightest sensory stimuli, such as things in our environment like a smell or sound, which may then be incorporated into the sleeper’s dream. If something simple like the sound of a phone ringing can affect and influence our dreams, then drugs that affect our brain’s chemistry can too. (Myers, 2011). • That is why it is necessary to properly experience REM sleep and have the ability to dream. The use of drugs deprives the brain of this important stage of sleep.

  5. How Drugs affect the brain • Immediately after entering the body, drugs cause dramatic changes to neural synapses in the brain by either amplifying or blocking a neurotransmitter’s activity. • The chemical structure of drugs is similar to brain chemicals or neurotransmitters (NIDA, 2008). • Drugs mimic natural neurotransmitters but work differently and send abnormal messages through the brain. Some drugs release high amounts of these neurotransmitters which leads to excessive messaging in the brain which disrupts communication channels. (Myers, 2011). • All drugs of abuse take over the limbic system and flood it with dopamine, producing a “high” for the user. • When the brain is flooded with artificial opiates, the brain may stop producing its own natural opiates and suppress the body’s own neurotransmitter production. (Myers, 2011).

  6. 6 Drug Affects Continued • Drugs affect hormone levels in four ways that can influence dreams; they can increase dopamine, increase acetylcholine, decrease norepinephrine, or decrease serotonin (Wick, 2002). • At normal levels during waking hours, norepinephrine helps focus and sharpen thinking. When norepinephrine levels are decreased during REM sleep, dreamers often assemble thoughts in a less organized and more wandering manner (Wick, 2002).

  7. 7 Drugs Affects on Sleep Patterns • All drugs that affect serotonin levels may affect sleep and dreaming (Haavisto, 2008). • Changes in the structure and function of the brain can have profound effects on sleep patterns. • Drugs of abuse alter sleep and specifically the amount and timing of REM sleep (Cohen, 1977). • External factors such as medications and drugs tend to increase the number of awakenings and limit the depth of sleep, which consequently impacts REM dreams. • Some drugs can influence REM sleep and dreaming indirectly via their effects on NREM sleep, especially slow-wave sleep. (Hobson, 2001.) • Many of the mind-altering and addicting drugs are associated with REM suppression during use (Hobson, 2001) • Examples: • Caffeine decreases the quantity of slow-wave sleep and REM sleep and tends to increase the number of awakenings. It also increases your dream recall. (Foleide, 2011). • Prescription drugs, such as anti depressants, often cause decreases in the amount of REM and slow-wave sleep (Hobson, 2001). • Ingestion of cocaine increases wakefulness and suppresses REM sleep (Hobson, 2001).

  8. Alcohol’s Suppressive Effects • When it comes to drinking alcohol, the chance of being able to dream is greatly diminished. This is because the consumption of alcohol suppresses or blocks REM sleep from happening. Since REM sleep is needed for dreaming, a lot less dreaming occurs when intoxicated. Instead alcohol causes us to fall into a deep, relaxed slow-wave sleep or otherwise known as delta-wave sleep where consciousness is extremely low (Hobson, 2001). • However, when a person stops their usual dose of alcohol there is a REM rebound. This only happens after someone who usually drinks stops. It causes the person to experience more REM sleep than usual to make up for the REM sleep the brain did not get. Alcoholics are known to have extremely intense dreams because of this REM rebound (Hobson, 2001)

  9. Ancient Use of Drugs • The use of mind altering substances like drugs and intoxicating alcohols that are used to improve and bring on dreams is known as a worldwide phenomenon that dates back to prehistoric times. • Dionysian cults practiced using wine and other substances for dream-likes states (Cohen, 1977). • Hindus used a drink called “soma” using marijuana as a main ingredient to influence dreams through meditation (Cohen, 1977). • Incas chewed the leaves of the coca plant from which cocaine is made (Cohen, 1977). • The Peyote ate sacred mushrooms and the Mexicans ate morning glory plant seeds because they said it entered them into a realm of dreams (Cohen, 1977).

  10. Common Causes • Antidepressants are known for causing very strange, and sometimes disturbing dreams. However, the recall of dreams is increased while taking them. • Antipsychotic drugs can increase the vividness of dreams while decreasing dream recall. These vivid dreams are sometimes known to be sexual. (Haavisto, 2008). • Painkillers like Morphine cause dreams that are extremely realistic. • Stimulants can cause nightmares or even lead to paradoxical dreams that are unpleasant and aggressive. • Over the counter allergy drugs have shown to cause dreams and nightmares so weird and intense that they put them as side effects on the medication (The Dream Encyclopedia, 1995). • Marijuana or THC is associated with an increase in slow-wave sleep and a reduction in REM sleep (Pivik et al., 1972). • According to studies, alcohol and barbiturates seem to activate a compensation mechanism that regulates REM sleep (Wiki Noticia, 2012).

  11. From American Psychological Association

  12. Drug that Increases REM Sleep • During the 1950s, “reserpine” was used as a sedative and antipsychotic drug. Reserpine actually increases REM sleep and patients reported vivid dreams and nightmares while taking the drug (Hartmann, 1999).

  13. Dream Study • One case study performed at the University of California in Santa Cruz examined the effects of Zoloft on dream content of a patient with generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks. Her dream reports were compared before and after the drug treatment. • She recorded a series of 33 dreams, pre-medication; then recorded a series of 40 more dreams, post-medication • Prior to diagnosis and treatment, the dreamer had high levels of aggression and low levels of friendliness in her dreams. • Results: • There was a corresponding increase in friends and friendliness in addition to a decrease in aggression. The ratio of friendliness to characters increased, along with the number of characters who were friends of the dreamer. • Another positive effect was the dreamer's increase in good fortune. Finally, the number of elements from the dreamer's past decreased dramatically, as did familiar settings.

  14. Dreaming and Drugs in Popular Literature • After eating mushrooms Alice finds herself to be in “wonderland” where she sees many strange things including an opium-smoking caterpillar who too is sitting on top of some magic mushrooms. At the end it turns out she dreamed the whole thing implying that she was under the influence (Carroll, 1951). • In the Wizard Of Oz Dorothy ends up falling into a deep dream that was caused by the poppy mixture she had ingested earlier (Baum, 1956). • Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a famous English Poet wrote his most popular book, “Kubla Khan” while in a drug-induced dream (Cohen, 1977). • John Lilley used a sensory-deprivation tank to emulate the state of sleep while taking LSD to induce creative dreaming (Cohen, 1977)

  15. Sources • Cohen, D. (1977). Dreams, visions and drugs: A search for other realities. Retrieved from http://www.enotes.com/sleep-dreaming/drugs/reference • Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School. (2007, December 18). External factors that influence sleep. Retrieved from http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/science/how/external-factors • The Dream Drug Store. (2001). Psychopharmacology of REM Sleep and Dreams. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com • Foleide, L. R. (2011, November 23). Do substances like drugs, herbs and food affect our dreams?. Retrieved from http://stason.org/TULARC/mind/dreaming/1-5-Do-substances-like-drugs-herbs-and-foods-affect-our-dr.html • Genetic Science Learning Center (1969, December 31) Drugs Alter the Brain's Reward Pathway. Retrieved from http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/drugs/ • Haavisto, M. (2008, Oct 31). How drugs and herbs affect dreams. Retrieved from http://suite101.com/article/how-drugs-and-herbs-affect-dreams-a75945 • Kirschner, N. (1999). Changes in dream content after drug treatment. Retrieved from http://www2.ucsc.edu/dreams/Library/kirschner_1999a.html • Myers , D. G. (2011). Myers' psychology for ap. (pp. 175-210). New York, NY: Worth Publishers. • National Institute of Drug Abuse (June, 2008). Addiction science: From molecules to managed care. Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/addiction-science/drug-use-changes-brain

  16. 16 Sources cont. • The Dream Encyclopedia. (1995). Drugs, effects on dreams. Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/topic/drugs-effects-on-dreams • Wick, J. Y. (2002). Drugs and dreams. Retrieved from http://japha.org/article.aspx?articleid=1034455 • Wiki Noticia (May 2012). Effects of drugs on sleep. (2012, May 10). Retrieved from http://en.wikinoticia.com/lifestyle/beauty/117077-effects-of-drugs-on-sleep

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