The effect of densensitization on the sleep and dreams of a phobic subject

Studied the sleep and dreams of a 22-yr-old male undergraduate who had complained of fear of noise and closed spaces and had consequently undergone 9 1-hr desensitization sessions within a 2-wk period. On 11 nights, prior to, during, and after sensitization training, the S slept in an air-conditioned, sound-proof experimental room while his physiological responses were monitored. The 1st 2 nights were adaptation nights, the 3rd night was a dream collection night, and the remaining 8 nights consisted of 2 blocks of nonconsecutive nights which were used to record uninterrupted sleep or to collect dreams. Upon being awakened on dream nights, the S reported dream content and rated each dream on a modified version of the Nowlis Mood Adjective Checklist (NMAC). Data show that time to get to sleep (associated with anxiety), REM density (associated with bizarreness and emotionality), and 2 inner-focused negative affect dimensions of the NMAC exhibited a 'U'-shaped function over the course of the study. Findings indicate that removal of affective discharge from what were usually disturbing stimuli reduced the effects of such stimuli on sleep and dreams. (French summary)