How and why do we dream and sleep ? please give the scientific reason for minimum 100 words !
Answers & Comments
kalpraj1
Dreams can occur anytime during sleep. But most vivid dreams occur during deep, REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, when the brain is most active. Some experts say we dream at least four to six times per night.
We tend to think of sleep as a time when the mind and body shut down. But this is not the case; sleep is an active period in which a lot of important processing, restoration, and strengthening occurs. Exactly how this happens and why our bodies are programmed for such a long period of slumber is still somewhat of a mystery. But scientists do understand some of sleep's critical functions, and the reasons we need it for optimal health and wellbeing.
One of the vital roles of sleep is to help us solidify and consolidate memories. As we go about our day, our brains take in an incredible amount of information. Rather than being directly logged and recorded, however, these facts and experiences first need to be processed and stored; and many of these steps happen while we sleep. Overnight, bits and pieces of information are transferred from more tentative, short-term memory to stronger, long-term memory—a process called "consolidation." Researchers have also shown that after people sleep, they tend to retain information and perform better on memory tasks. Our bodies all require long periods of sleep in order to restore and rejuvenate, to grow muscle, repair tissue, and synthesize hormones.
If this question was to be answered in four quick words: science is not sure.
Let me try to explain. This statement does not mean that there isn't any research on why we dream, but there is no universally accepted reason why we do. There are many theories though, let's go through 4 popular ones.
Theory #1: Dreaming helps us form memories:
Some researchers believe that dreaming is key to the formation of memories. Some studies have shown that we have more dreams when we learn new things. Also, dreaming, according to this theory helps to convert short-term memories into long-term ones.
Theory #2: Dreams help us deal with emotions:
This theory basically ties our dreams with our emotions. It suggests that when we are awake, our brains are busy dealing with many activities and therefore do not have the 'space' to concentrate on things that bother our emotions. During sleep, the brain has enough time to sort out emotions and achieve a balance.
Theory #3: Our dreams reflect our mindset, thoughts and daily activities.
This theory was one proposed by Sigmund Freud, proposing that our dreams are a direct reflection of our real-life experiences and what we have in our minds. It further suggests that our dreams are our way of expressing emotions and desires that we suppress during wakefulness.
Theory #4: Our dreams serve no function
Some scientists believe that our dreams don't serve any function but are just part of the biological processes that happen when we sleep. The theory proposes that our dreams are purposeless and random firings of the brain during sleep.
Despite these theories and ongoing research, there is no theory that is generally accepted yet. The exact reason why we dream is still a mystery.
What Causes Nightmares?
Dreams may also be influenced disorders. For example, people who suffer from anxiety, stress and depression are more likely to have nightmares. Also, some medications, alcohol and the use of hard drugs can cause nightmares.
So, now that we have an idea of what science says about the causes and meanings of dreams, let's conclude or recap by outlining some interesting facts about dreams.
7 Interesting Facts About Dreams
Everybody dreams every night, some people just don't remember.
Most dreams happen during the rapid eye movement stage of sleep, where the eyes move swiftly in many directions.
The body is temporarily paralysed during sleep so that we don't act out our dreams.
Science does not yet know the reason why we dream.
You are more likely to have nightmares if you are stressed or anxious.
You are more likely to remember your dream if you wake up without an alarm.
Some people get creative ideas from their dreams.Paul McCartney composed the melody for The Beatles' song 'Yesterday' in a dream.
Answers & Comments
We tend to think of sleep as a time when the mind and body shut down. But this is not the case; sleep is an active period in which a lot of important processing, restoration, and strengthening occurs. Exactly how this happens and why our bodies are programmed for such a long period of slumber is still somewhat of a mystery. But scientists do understand some of sleep's critical functions, and the reasons we need it for optimal health and wellbeing.
One of the vital roles of sleep is to help us solidify and consolidate memories. As we go about our day, our brains take in an incredible amount of information. Rather than being directly logged and recorded, however, these facts and experiences first need to be processed and stored; and many of these steps happen while we sleep. Overnight, bits and pieces of information are transferred from more tentative, short-term memory to stronger, long-term memory—a process called "consolidation." Researchers have also shown that after people sleep, they tend to retain information and perform better on memory tasks. Our bodies all require long periods of sleep in order to restore and rejuvenate, to grow muscle, repair tissue, and synthesize hormones.
If this question was to be answered in four quick words: science is not sure.
Let me try to explain. This statement does not mean that there isn't any research on why we dream, but there is no universally accepted reason why we do. There are many theories though, let's go through 4 popular ones.
Theory #1: Dreaming helps us form memories:
Some researchers believe that dreaming is key to the formation of memories. Some studies have shown that we have more dreams when we learn new things. Also, dreaming, according to this theory helps to convert short-term memories into long-term ones.
Theory #2: Dreams help us deal with emotions:
This theory basically ties our dreams with our emotions. It suggests that when we are awake, our brains are busy dealing with many activities and therefore do not have the 'space' to concentrate on things that bother our emotions. During sleep, the brain has enough time to sort out emotions and achieve a balance.
Theory #3: Our dreams reflect our mindset, thoughts and daily activities.
This theory was one proposed by Sigmund Freud, proposing that our dreams are a direct reflection of our real-life experiences and what we have in our minds. It further suggests that our dreams are our way of expressing emotions and desires that we suppress during wakefulness.
Theory #4: Our dreams serve no function
Some scientists believe that our dreams don't serve any function but are just part of the biological processes that happen when we sleep. The theory proposes that our dreams are purposeless and random firings of the brain during sleep.
Despite these theories and ongoing research, there is no theory that is generally accepted yet. The exact reason why we dream is still a mystery.
What Causes Nightmares?
Dreams may also be influenced disorders. For example, people who suffer from anxiety, stress and depression are more likely to have nightmares. Also, some medications, alcohol and the use of hard drugs can cause nightmares.
So, now that we have an idea of what science says about the causes and meanings of dreams, let's conclude or recap by outlining some interesting facts about dreams.
7 Interesting Facts About Dreams
Everybody dreams every night, some people just don't remember.
Most dreams happen during the rapid eye movement stage of sleep, where the eyes move swiftly in many directions.
The body is temporarily paralysed during sleep so that we don't act out our dreams.
Science does not yet know the reason why we dream.
You are more likely to have nightmares if you are stressed or anxious.
You are more likely to remember your dream if you wake up without an alarm.
Some people get creative ideas from their dreams.Paul McCartney composed the melody for The Beatles' song 'Yesterday' in a dream.