A new study from Italy's IMT School for Advance Studies Lucca has revealed that vivid dreams may contribute to deeper sleep rather than disrupting it.[1][2] The research team analyzed data from 44 participants who were kept awake for several nights and examined their brain activity using EEG and dream reports.[2] They found that emotional or bizarre dreams were associated with the deepest sleep, while abstract, "thoughtful" dreams were associated with lighter sleep.[2] According to neuroscientist Giulio Bernardi, the author of the study, more intense dreams can affect how sleepers perceive their brain activity – the more intense the dream, the deeper the sleep appears.[2] These findings suggest that dreaming may play an important role in sleep quality and restfulness. The study thus challenges the long-standing opinion that deep sleep is only associated with sedation and minimal brain activity.[2]