Everyone Dreams, but Why?Everyone does it even if we don’t remember doing it. Yet no one is sure why we do it. “It” is dream. Different types of dreams occur during different phases of sleep, with the most vivid, story-like dreams accompanying REM sleep. Non-REM dreams are less intense and more thought-like.
Overview
The tune for the classic “Yesterday” came to Paul McCartney in a dream. Mary Shelley’s famous novel Frankenstein was inspired by a dream. Abraham Lincoln dreamed of his own death only days before his assassination. There is a long list of famous dreams that have sparked a creative discovery or accurately predicted an event. Perhaps you’ve even had one yourself.
Of course, not every dream holds such power. Still, many believe dreams can provide clues to our deepest thoughts and feelings. Throughout history, people have debated why we dream and the significance of dreams to our waking lives. The debate continues today as scientists learn more about brain activity during sleep.
Why Dream?
Every one of us dreams, even if we don’t remember our dreams. No one is sure why we dream but there are theories. Michael Breus, Ph.D., explains in his Insomnia Blog: “Some scientists believe we dream to fix experiences in long-term memory, that is, we dream about things worth remembering. Others reckon we dream about things worth forgetting – to eliminate overlapping memories that would otherwise clog up our brains.”
It’s possible “that dreaming allows you the opportunity to practice things you may or may not ever have to do, like running away or fighting off a predator,” according to Tom Scammel, M.D., associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, as quoted in WedMD. Other scientists argue that dreams are just chaotic images resulting from the brain’s attempt to make meaning out of random chemical signals.
The Science
In order to discover clues to explain why we dream, researchers study what happens when we dream. During REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, our brains are more active and conditions are right for narrative dreams that may rival a feature film for action and complex plots! The only difference – you are the star! (REM sleep can last approximately 90 minutes and often occurs three or four times a night.)
People who are awakened from REM sleep often report vivid, even bizarre, dreams. If you have not been getting enough sleep, your need for REM sleep builds and when you finally catch up on your sleep, you may have more REM sleep accompanied by more intense dreams.
During REM sleep, your arm and leg muscles are temporarily paralyzed, preventing you from “acting out” your dreams and harming yourself or your sleep partner!
We also dream during non-REM sleep phases but to a lesser extent. Dr. Breus describes non-REM dreams as “repetitive and thought-like, with little imagery – obsessively returning to a suspicion you left your mobile phone somewhere, for example.”
Hypnagogia is the transitional state between wakefulness and sleep. Hypnagogic dreams occur as you are falling asleep. Perhaps you’ve experienced the sensation of tripping or falling as you’re drifting off to sleep, causing your body to suddenly twitch. That’s a hypnagogic dream.
Lucid dreaming is being aware that you are dreaming. People try to take lucid dreaming one step further by actively guiding or controlling their dreams.
Remembering Your Dreams
If you’re curious about your own dreams and want to do a better job remembering them, try keeping a dream journal at your bedside. (If you have a Zeo, try recording your dreams in your Journal at myZeo.com.) Record your dreams immediately upon awakening before the memory fades. You might be surprised at how busy your brain is while you sleep.