Type 1 narcolepsy (NT1) is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by daytime drowsiness with a rapid transition to REM sleep. Sufferers of NT1 are more likely than others to experience sleep paralysis and lucid dreams, which may therefore lead to positive consequences.
In a recent study, scientists at the University of Bologna in Italy, led by Anita D’Anselmo, set out to prove that people suffering from this kind of narcolepsy tend to be more creative. To demonstrate their hypothesis, the authors conducted a study involving 66 patients with type 1 narcolepsy.
The volunteers first filled out questionnaires, which were used to assess their creative achievements and abilities. Next, they went through a creativity assessment test in which they were asked to suggest original ways of using ordinary objects. The results showed that not only do narcoleptics have a higher creativity quotient than ordinary people, but they are also able to come up with several original ideas at once.
According to scientists, the reason lies in the frequent hypnagogic hallucinations that occur in the transitional state between sleep and wakefulness. Like lucid dreaming, hypnagogia involves the mind and the unconscious at the same time. In this state, the patient experiences a free stream of consciousness, or the effect of “wandering mind,” which, in turn, develops creative thinking.
The study was published in December 2020 in the journal Nature and Science of Sleep.
