Integrative Dream Medicine

Although dreaming was integral to the ancient Asklepian practices that form the roots of contemporary medicine, its clinical relevance has been obscured by a scientific bias against the phenomenology or personal meaning of dreams. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and dreaming play critical roles in neurological and mental health, particularly memory consolidation, mood regulation, and personal transcendence. Despite this, the epidemic of REM/dream deprivation and its health ramifications has not been adequately acknowledged or addressed. All clinicians should advise patients of the general health benefits of REM/dreaming and incorporate relevant screening and treatment for REM/dream deficiencies into their practices. REM/dream issues must be explicitly addressed in sleep medicine, especially in the treatment of insomnia disorder, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and nightmares. This should include psychotherapeutic dreamwork, which views REM/dreaming as an endogenous healing process. Promoting REM/dream health also calls for concerted public health initiatives.