Named the type of dreams that improves sleep quality

The vividness and richness of dreams can directly affect how rested a person feels after sleep. This is the conclusion reached by researchers from Italy. The study was published in the journal PLOS Biology.

The experiment involved 44 healthy volunteers. Scientists analyzed 196 nights of sleep, observing participants in a laboratory. They were regularly awakened during different sleep stages and asked to describe their experiences — whether they had dreams and how deeply they felt they were sleeping.

It turned out that the sensation of "deep sleep" occurred not only during periods of complete unconsciousness but also after vivid, rich dreams. Moreover, this happened even when brain activity was closer to a waking state. Conversely, participants reported the most "shallow" sleep sensations in a state where they were partially aware of their surroundings but were not experiencing a full dream.

"In other words, not all mental activity during sleep feels the same. The quality of the experience plays a key role, especially its immersiveness," noted neuroscientist Giulio Bernardi.

The researchers suggest that vivid dreams may serve as a kind of "buffer," smoothing out fluctuations in brain activity. As a result, a person experiences a sensation of continuous and deep sleep, even if objective indicators do not correspond to this.

The scientists paid particular attention to the N2 phase (the second stage of non-REM sleep), which occupies a significant portion of the night. It is during this phase, according to their data, that the connection between dream vividness and subjective sleep depth is particularly evident.

Additionally, closer to morning, when the physiological need for sleep decreases, dreams become more vivid — and simultaneously the feeling that sleep was deep intensifies.

According to Bernardi, this may explain why some people complain about poor sleep despite normal results on objective measurements.

Looking ahead, the scientists do not rule out that influencing the content or vividness of dreams — for example, through sensory stimulation or cognitive techniques — could help in treating insomnia and improving sleep quality.