Lucid dreaming increased during the COVID-19 pandemic: An online survey

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic changed people’s lives all over the world. While anxiety and stress decreased sleep quality for most people, an increase in total sleep time was also observed in certain cohorts. Dream recall frequency also increased, especially for nightmares. However, to date, there are no consistent reports focusing on pandemic-related changes in lucid dreaming, a state during which dreamers become conscious of being in a dream as it unfolds. Here we investigated lucid dreaming recall frequency and other sleep variables in 1,857 Brazilian subjects, using an online questionnaire. Firstly, we found that most participants (64.78%) maintained their lucid dream recall frequency during the pandemic, but a considerable fraction (22.62%) informed that lucid dreams became more frequent, whereas a smaller subset (12.60%) reported a decrease in these events during the pandemic. Secondly, the number of participants reporting lucid dreams at least once per week increased during the pandemic. Using a mixed logistic regression model, we confirmed that the pandemic significantly enhanced the recall frequency of lucid dreams (p = 0.002). Such increase in lucid dreaming during the pandemic was significantly associated with an enhancement in both dream and nightmare recall frequencies, as well as with sleep quality and symptoms of REM sleep behavior disorder. Pandemic-related increases in stress, anxiety, sleep fragmentation, and sleep extension, which enhance REM sleep awakening, may be associated with the increase in the occurrence of lucid dreams, dreams in general, and nightmares.

Oxidative brain and cerebellum injury in diabetes and prostate cancer model: Protective effect of metformin

“…In this investigation, six groups of male Copenhagen rats were created. In the control group: 0.9% NaCl was administered over a 14‐day period ( n = 5), diabetic group (D): 65 mg/kg of STZ [ 19 ] was administered intraperitoneally ( n = 7); cancer group (C): 2 × 10 4 Mat‐LyLu cells were injected subcutaneously ( n = 8); diabetic + cancer group (DC): 2 × 10 4 Mat‐LyLu cells were given following a 65 mg/kg STZ injection ( n = 8); cancer + metformin group (CM): metformin [ 20 ] was given during the study after receiving Mat‐LyLu cells ( n = 8); diabetic + cancer + metformin group (DCM): metformin was given by gavage during the study after receiving injection of STZ and inoculation of Mat‐LyLu cells ( n = 8).…”

Materials and Biomedical Applications of Implantable Electronic Devices

“…Implantable drug delivery devices, mainly including drug implants and implantable pumps that contain drugs, can deliver drugs to target organs to treat tumors, control pains, and prevent inflammations, [ 336 ] which has a higher efficiency than the oral drug intake since drugs are directly delivered to the target site. Since drug implants, such as the fully bioresorbable implantable drug delivery device by using bioresorbable materials for drug release, [ 337 ] are not electronic devices, which would not be discussed further here. The typical implantable electronic pumps are the osmotic pump, the infusion pump (such as the insulin pump) and the wireless‐operating pump.…”