An epidemic of dream deprivation: Unrecognized health hazard of sleep loss

Most everyone is aware of the dangers of sleep deprivation. A natural consequence of sleep deprivation is dream deprivation. However, since so little attention is paid to dreams among sleep researchers and the general population, the mental and physical health consequences of dream deprivation have received scant attention. I have harped on this for a long time but now there is some major attention being paid to this issue. Rubin Naiman, Ph.D., a sleep and dream specialist at the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, has published a major review of the available literature. His article is entitled, “Dreamless: the silent epidemic of REM sleep loss.” This paper is part of a volume devoted to “Unlocking the Unconscious: exploring the Undiscovered Self,” published by the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Naiman concludes that dream loss is an unrecognized health hazard having major effects on physical illness, depression, and the debilitation of consciousness. I’m hopeful that this major study will escalate research into this woefully untended problem that effects physical and mental health world-wide.

Here's the link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170929093254.htm