<p>There's a lot to unpack here, but maybe a good place to start is looking at the difference between an action potential and a brainwave. An <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_potential" rel="nofollow noreferrer">action potential</a> is the abrupt change in voltage of a single neuron in response to a pre-synaptic stimulus. Brainwaves are measured by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroencephalography" rel="nofollow noreferrer">EEG</a>. They represent the sum of many neurons' activity.</p>
<p>If I understand the gist of your question, you want to know where the brain activity &quot;comes from&quot; during sleep/dreaming since there are no sensory stimuli. It's a good question, and a topic of research. Check out <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867419307433" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this article</a> or any of Gyorgy Buzsaki's work. Also, you may be interested in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Default_mode_network" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Default mode network</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-23T22:54:40.440Z
2020-06-23T22:54:40.440Z
Benjamin Latimer
<p>I would like to know what generates the action potential in the brain areas that is relevant to dreaming, since our sensory nervous systems don't work (or do they?). What else can generate the action potential needed for dreaming?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>

<cognitive-psychology><neuroscience><cognitive-neuroscience><dreams><brain>
How action potential is generated while dreaming
Idop11
# How action potential is generated while dreaming

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-06-19)

I would like to know what generates the action potential in the brain areas that is relevant to dreaming, since our sensory nervous systems don't work (or do they?). What else can generate the action potential needed for dreaming?

Thanks

**Tags:** cognitive-psychology, neuroscience, cognitive-neuroscience, dreams, brain


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-06-23. Score: 1

There's a lot to unpack here, but maybe a good place to start is looking at the difference between an action potential and a brainwave. An [action potential](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_potential) is the abrupt change in voltage of a single neuron in response to a pre-synaptic stimulus. Brainwaves are measured by [EEG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroencephalography). They represent the sum of many neurons' activity.

If I understand the gist of your question, you want to know where the brain activity "comes from" during sleep/dreaming since there are no sensory stimuli. It's a good question, and a topic of research. Check out [this article](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867419307433) or any of Gyorgy Buzsaki's work. Also, you may be interested in the [Default mode network](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Default_mode_network).


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