Final answer:
To prove that Margie dreams, her sister should wake Margie after she's been asleep for just over an hour to coincide with REM sleep, when dreams are most frequent, thereby increasing the likelihood of dream recall.
Step-by-step explanation:
To prove that Margie does indeed dream, her sister should let Margie sleep a little more than an hour then wake her and ask her about her dreams. This method is based on the understanding that dreams typically occur during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, which begins roughly 90 minutes after falling asleep. This time period would allow Margie to enter REM sleep when dreaming is most likely to occur.
Research by Rosalind Cartwright supports the idea that dreams reflect life events significant to the dreamer, providing empirical validation to the argument against Margie's claim of never dreaming. Studies have shown a correlation between thought content during waking hours and dream content during REM sleep. By waking Margie after a period within the REM cycle, her sister maximizes the chance that Margie will recall any dreams.
To prove that Margie dreams, her sister could use several methods. One option is to feed Margie lots of rich food before bedtime, as certain foods and eating habits can affect dream recall. Another option is to videotape Margie's first 10 minutes of sleep and look for signs of REM sleep, which is associated with dreaming. Alternatively, the sister could let Margie sleep a little more than an hour and then wake her up to ask her about her dreams, as it is easier to remember dreams when woken up during REM sleep. Using posthypnotic suggestion could also increase the chances of dream recall.