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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2020.12.16.423012

Exposure to relaxing words during sleep promotes slow-wave sleep and subjective sleep quality

Beck, J.·Loretz, E.·Rasch, B.
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Abstract

Our thoughts alter our sleep, but the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. We propose that mental processes are active to a greater or lesser extent during sleep and that this degree of activation affects our sleep depth. We examined this notion by activating the concept of "relaxation" during sleep using relaxation-related words in 50 healthy participants. In support of our hypothesis, playing relaxing words during non-rapid eye movement sleep extended the time spent in slow-wave sleep, increased power in the slow-wave activity band after the word cue, and abolished an asymmetrical sleep depth during the word presentation period. On the subjective level, participants reported a higher sleep quality and elevated alertness ratings. Our results support the notion that the activation of mental concepts during sleep can influence sleep depth and provide a basis for interventions using targeted activations to promote sleep depth and sleep quality to foster well-being and health.

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Beck, J., Loretz, E., Rasch, B.. 2020-12-16. Exposure to relaxing words during sleep promotes slow-wave sleep and subjective sleep quality. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.12.16.423012

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