Overview
- The lab paired each brain-teaser with a unique soundtrack before bedtime, then replayed half of those sounds during polysomnography-verified REM to cue related dream content.
- Seventy-five percent of participants reported puzzle-related dreams, with incorporated puzzles solved more often after waking than non-incorporated ones (42% vs 17%).
- In a subgroup of 12 participants whose dreams referenced cued puzzles more frequently, solve rates for reactivated puzzles rose from about 20% to about 40%.
- Several sleepers signaled from REM using prearranged responses, including sniff sequences and eye movements, indicating perception of cues and engagement with the prompted puzzles.
- The peer-reviewed paper appeared Feb. 5 in Neuroscience of Consciousness, and both authors and outside experts call the findings promising yet inconclusive, with follow-up studies planned to test broader applicability and cue responsiveness.