{"id":235057,"date":"2025-05-07T15:03:44","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T13:03:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/?p=235057"},"modified":"2025-05-07T15:03:45","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T13:03:45","slug":"can-psychedelics-change-the-way-we-sleep-or-make-sleep-unnecessary-altogether","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/pl\/blog\/can-psychedelics-change-the-way-we-sleep-or-make-sleep-unnecessary-altogether\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Psychedelics Change the Way We Sleep – Or Make Sleep Unnecessary Altogether?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine this: you\u2019re wide awake, yet your mind is drifting through vivid dreamscapes filled with shifting colors, emotional memories, and a sense of timelessness. You feel refreshed afterward \u2014 but you never actually fell asleep!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the kind of experience often reported during a psychedelic trip, and it\u2019s drawing the attention of scientists exploring the overlap between psychedelics and REM sleep \u2014 the stage of sleep when most dreaming happens.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Zdj\u0119cie Aziz Acharki na Unsplash<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Similarities Between Psychedelic Trips and Dreams Have Long Been Observed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For years, researchers have noticed striking similarities between psychedelic experiences and the brain activity during REM sleep. In fact, some theorize that certain psychedelics might activate a kind of \u201cwaking REM\u201d<\/a> state. This idea gained traction after studies revealed that our brains behave similarly during REM sleep and while we\u2019re awake \u2014 at least in terms of activity patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One major study<\/a> from 2017, led by Swiss psychiatrist Dr. Rainer Kraehenmann, explored this concept directly. He found that psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin (aktywny sk\u0142adnik grzyb\u00f3w magicznych)<\/em> could produce vivid imagery, emotional breakthroughs, and a softened sense of self \u2014 features that closely resemble \u015bwiadome \u015bnienie<\/a>, the phenomenon that occurs when you are aware you are dreaming, within the dream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This opened up new ideas: Could dreaming and tripping be powered by the same brain mechanisms? Later badania<\/a> on DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine)<\/em> showed it could create brainwave activity similar to REM sleep, possibly even reshaping our understanding of what consciousness looks like when we\u2019re \u201cawake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So, does this mean psychedelics could replace \u2014 or reduce the need for \u2014 actual sleep?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer isn\u2019t simple.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studying Psychedelics and Sleep<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In April 2024, a study in Psychiatria translacyjna<\/a><\/em> added a new piece to the puzzle. Participants who microdosed LSD (taking 10 micrograms every three days)<\/em> faktycznie slept longer<\/strong>, gaining about 24 extra minutes of total sleep the night after a dose. They also saw a modest increase in REM sleep \u2014 about 8 minutes more\u2014but the proportion of REM to total sleep stayed roughly the same. In other words, microdosing LSD doesn\u2019t seem to reduce REM sleep and may even enhance it slightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But some psychedelics produce even more mysterious effects…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 2022 study, also in Psychiatria translacyjna<\/em><\/a>, looked at psilocin (a breakdown product of psilocybin)<\/em> and found it disrupted<\/strong> sleep in lab mice. The researchers gave the mice 2 mg\/kg of psilocin and recorded their brainwaves and muscle activity. The results showed delayed REM sleep and a reduced ability to sustain deep REM cycles. It seemed that instead of allowing normal dreaming, the drug might have triggered a kind of waking dream state \u2014 bypassing the sleep process entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This supports the theory that psychedelics may turn on the \u201cdream machine\u201d in our brain while we\u2019re fully conscious, offering emotional intensity and mental clarity similar to REM sleep \u2014 without actually needing to be asleep at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Both Sleep and Psychedelics Centre Serotonin<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are still many unknowns \u2014 and the research so far involves small sample sizes. \u201cWe need to take these results with a grain of salt,\u201d <\/em>cautions Shari B. Kaplan, a licensed social worker and founder of Cannectd Wellness<\/a>, a mental health clinic that incorporates plant-based therapies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaplan points out a potential biological explanation: both psychedelics and sleep impact serotonin \u2014 a neurotransmitter linked to mood and well-being. Serotonin also helps regulate melatonin, the hormone that controls your sleep-wake cycle. \u201cWhen psychedelics increase serotonin during the day, that may help boost melatonin production at night, which could explain why some people sleep better after microdosing,\u201d<\/em> m\u00f3wi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But not all psychedelics act alike. DMT, for example, doesn\u2019t just affect serotonin. It also activates dopamine and oxytocin \u2014 neurochemicals tied to pleasure and emotional bonding. \u201cThat might be why people describe DMT trips as feeling like they\u2019re dreaming while fully awake,\u201d <\/em>Kaplan explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Sleep isn’t just for dreaming”<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If these substances are reshaping sleep architecture, the stakes are high. Psychedelics might one day be used to help treat conditions like PTSD, depression, and anxiety\u2014much like REM sleep helps process emotions and store memories. They could, in theory, offer the same emotional and psychological benefits as dreaming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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However, Kaplan also raises a serious concern. \u201cSleep isn\u2019t just for dreaming\u2014it\u2019s when your brain flushes out toxins,\u201d<\/em> she says. Deep sleep activates the glymphatic system, which clears out harmful waste products, including beta-amyloid, the protein linked to Alzheimer\u2019s disease. \u201cIf we skip that by chemically mimicking dreams while awake, we might be missing out on critical brain maintenance.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s also the unpredictable nature of psychedelics to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cREM sleep is a controlled cycle\u2014it\u2019s tied to your body\u2019s internal clock. Psychedelics, on the other hand, blow that open,\u201d<\/em> Kaplan says. That lack of regulation is part of what makes psychedelic experiences powerful \u2014 but also potentially unsettling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For now, the line between sleep and psychedelics remains mysterious. But as scientists continue to explore how these substances interact with consciousness, we may begin to understand just how flexible our need for sleep really is \u2014 and whether we\u2019re on the cusp of a new kind of waking dream.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New research suggests that psychedelic substances like psilocybin, DMT, and LSD may blur the line between dreaming and waking life \u2014 perhaps even changing our relationship with sleep itself.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":235268,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[88,86],"tags":[],"topics":[],"class_list":["post-235057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psychedelic-studies","category-welness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=235057"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235057\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":235067,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235057\/revisions\/235067"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/235268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=235057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=235057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=235057"},{"taxonomy":"topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topics?post=235057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}