New research published in the Journal of Sleep Research suggests that a specific type of sleep, known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep or “dream sleep,” can predict how stressed college students feel before an important exam. The study found that students who experience more REM sleep earlier in the semester tend to have higher levels of anxiety as final exams approach. These findings add a fascinating layer to our understanding of how sleep affects emotional processing and stress in everyday life. REM sleep is one of the five stages of the sleep cycle that our bodies naturally progress throu…