Dreaming of the sleep lab is associated with improved performance on a sign language learning task: A pilot study.

Dreaming, Vol 33(3), Sep 2023, 235-243; doi:10.1037/drm0000245Evidence suggests that dream content, such as dreaming about a learning task, is associated with improved task performance following sleep. Given links between sleep and language learning, we conducted a morning nap study to assess whether dream content correlates with improvement on a sign language learning task. We collected data from 16 participants who completed a sign language vocabulary learning and recall task before and after a 2-hr nap opportunity. Participants were awakened from REM sleep and asked to report a dream and rate the extent to which their dream incorporated elements of the laboratory or the task on a 1–9 Likert scale, and an independent judge additionally scored laboratory incorporation in dreams. Results showed that lab-related dreams were associated with improved performance on the task following sleep. Overall, the results are in line with recent findings that dream content correlates with learning, here extended to a sign language task. The results could be interpreted in several ways: Dream content may be influenced by trait factors (cognitive capacity and motivation) that correspond with learning, or dream content could either reflect or actively enhance underlying memory consolidation during sleep. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
Source: Dreaming - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research