REM Deprivation and Divergent Thinking

The contribution of REM sleep to divergent thinking was examined. Ten subjects were deprived of REM sleep and of equal length of NREM sleep. In both cases a divergent thinking task was assigned in the evening to be performed in the morning. The subjects' responses after NREM deprivation were numerically greater, included more positive reactions, and were more divergent and original than those produced after REM deprivation. The study thus reconfirms the hypothesis that REM sleep contributes to divergent thinking and supports the claim that it encourages the individual's adaptation to new situations.