What's up with your nightmares?
Summary
NPR’s Shortwave explores the science of nightmares with sleep scientist Michelle Carr, author of *Nightmare Obscura*. Carr explains how sleep cycles, particularly REM, help process emotions and why nightmares often stem from stress or trauma. The episode covers treatments like imagery rehearsal therapy and emerging wearable technologies that aim to influence dreams and reduce distress.
Topics discussed
Intro: Nightmares, sleep science, and Michelle Carr
Sponsors: Edward Jones and NetSuite
The four stages of sleep and REM
Sleep's role in emotional regulation
Nightmares as a mental autoimmune reaction
Brain activity and emotion regulation in nightmares
Treating nightmares with imagery rehearsal therapy
Lucid dreaming and gaining agency in dreams
New tech: Wearable EEGs and dream influence
Outro, credits, and Up First preview
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