Dreaming during anesthesia

Abstract

Dreaming during anesthesia is a fascinating but incompletely understood phenomenon. As dreaming is commonly reported after anesthesia and may occasionally be confused with awareness, a discussion of this topic is warranted. In this chapter, after a short discussion about dreaming during sleep, current knowledge of dreaming during anesthesia will be explored, including the definition, incidence, risk factors, characteristics, consequences, and management of dreaming. Further research is required into many of these factors before anesthetic dreaming is completely explained. Nearly everyone dreams during sleep – or at least is able to recall a dream or to recall having had a dream upon awakenin..