Dreaming occurs for many patients during anesthesia

AORN Journal, July, 2007

Many surgical patients dream during anesthesia, and most of their dreams are pleasant or may be prompted by a conversation they overhear while under anesthesia, according to a January 3, 2007, news release from the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Dreaming during anesthesia is a poorly understood phenomenon and has been attributed to patients overhearing conversations and events in the OR because of poor anesthesia depth. Past studies on the subject, however, have been inconclusive as to the relationship between dreaming and depth of anesthesia.

Three hundred healthy patients ages 18 to 50 years who were scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia were monitored in the usual fashion and also were monitored by devices that measured the effects of anesthesia and sedatives on the brain. In interviews conducted upon their awakening from anesthesia and two to four hours after surgery, patients were asked what they remembered before going to steep and upon awakening and whether they remembered anything during the surgery. They also were asked if they had experienced any dreams, and if they had, they were asked to describe the dreams.

Nearly one-third of the participants described dreaming at one or both interviews. Of the 35 patients who reported dreams during both interviews, 31 reported the same dream and four reported different dreams in each interview. There were no clinically significant differences in values measuring anesthetic effects between dreamers and nondreamers. The reported dreams were mostly pleasant and meaningful to the patient and involved family, friends, work, or recreation. Some of the dreams appeared to be triggered by surgical team conversations overheard by the patient. The researchers concluded that in the majority of cases, dreaming occurs during the recovery period and is not associated with inadequate or tight anesthesia.

Dreaming and Anesthesia [news release]. Chicago, IL: American Society of Anesthesiologists; January 3, 2007.