a tremendous buildup in, and backlog of, pressure to obtain REM sleep. So great, in fact, that it inflicts a frightening consequence upon these individuals: aggressive intrusions of dreaming while they are wide awake. The pent-up REM-sleep pressure erupts forcefully into waking consciousness, causing hallucinations, delusions, and gross disorientation. This process contributes to the psychotic state in alcoholics called, “delirium tremens.”
