REM is an active and final phase of the four-stage sleep cycle characterised by increased brain activity and autonomic nervous system functions. The brainstem and hypothalamus mostly control this stage of sleep. Many theories hypothesise that REM sleep is helpful for learning and memory formation, but the purpose and benefits of REM sleep are still unknown.

Rapid eye movement (REM sleep)

Before REM sleep, the three prior stages of sleep occur progressively slow bodily function and brain activity. These stages are known as non-REM or N1, N2, and N3. However, during REM sleep, the eyes move rapidly sideways. The heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure increase to their values while awake. REM sleep is the longest period of the sleep cycle, lasting 70 to 120 minutes.

REM definition

During REM sleep, brain wave activity increase, as measured on an electroencephalogram (EEG).<ul><li>N1 sleep shows slowing of the normal alpha wave pattern noted during the awake state.</li><li>N2 sleep introduces K waves - long, high voltage waves - lasting up to 1 second, and sleep spindles - periods of low voltage and high-frequency spikes.</li><li>N3 sleep is characterized by delta waves, or high voltage, slow and irregular activity. </li><li>During REM sleep, sleep patterns show low voltage and fast waves, some alpha waves, and muscle twitch spikes associated with transmitted rapid eye movement. </li></ul>

REM and your brain

The most vivid dreams occur during REM sleep. These dreams are often elaborate and emotional experiences that include sadness, anger, apprehension or fear.  A person can more readily recall a dream when they awake from REM sleep. However, the purpose of dream content is not currently understood. Sigmund Freud suggested dreams were a representation of unconscious thought. Another hypothesis proposes that dreams are a random brain activity during REM sleep and not a meaningful experience.

Dreams and REM sleep

Non-REM sleep is necessary in order to survive. Mild sleep deprivation increases the risk of chronic health conditions and severe sleep deprivation can lead to hallucinations or death. However, the benefits of REM sleep remain inconclusive. Studies show no obvious adverse effects when participants were deprived of REM sleep. <ul><li>Hypothesized benefits suggest certain negative behaviours which should be unlearned are rehearsed through dreams.</li><li>REM sleep is proposed to help transfer memories from the hippocampus to the cerebral cortex.</li></ul>

Benefits of REM sleep

REM sleep is the final stage of the sleep cycle showing increased brain activity. Vivid, elaborate, and emotional dreams occur during this stage.

Stashed ideas

What Is REM Sleep? Definition and Benefits

Dreams are images, thoughts, or feelings that occur during sleep. Visual imagery is the most common, but dreams can involve all of the senses. Some people dream in colour while others dream in black and white,and people who are blind tend to have more dream components related to sound, taste, and smell.

What Are Dreams?

Studies have revealed diverse types of dream content, but some typical characteristics of dreaming include:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">It has a first-person perspective.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">It is involuntary.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">The content may be illogical or even incoherent.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">The content includes other people who interact with the dreamer and one another.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">It provokes strong emotions.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Elements of waking life are incorporated into content.</li></ul>Although these features are not universal, they are found at least to some extent in most normal dreams.

Characteristics Of Dreams

Debate continues among sleep experts about why we dream. Different theories about the purpose of dreaming include :1.Building memory: Dreaming has been associated with consolidation of memory, which suggests that dreaming may serve an important cognitive function of strengthening memory and informational recall.2.Processing emotion: The ability to engage with and rehearse feelings in different imagined contexts may be part of the brain’s method for managing emotions.

Why Do We Dream?

3.Mental housekeeping: Periods of dreaming could be the brain’s way of “straightening up,” clearing away partial, erroneous, or unnecessary information.4.Instant replay: Dream content may be a form of distorted instant replay in which recent events are reviewed and analyzed.

The majority of REM(Rapid Eye Movement) sleep happens during the second half of a normal sleep period. This means that dreaming tends to be concentrated in the hours before waking up. Dreams during REM sleep are typically more vivid, fantastical, and/or bizarre even though they may involve elements of waking life. By contrast, non-REM dreams tend to involve more coherent content that involves memories grounded to a specific time and place.

When Do We Dream?

Psychologists have argued that dreams provide insight into a person's psyche or everyday life. Some find their content to be too inconsistent or bewildering to reliably deliver meaning. The "continuity hypothesis" in dream research holds that dreams and waking life are intertwined with one another. But the "discontinuity hypothesis," on the other hand, sees thinking during dreams as structurally distinct.

Do Dreams Have Meaning?

Dreams can take on many different forms. Lucid dreams occur when a person is in a dream while being actively aware that they are dreaming.Vivid dreams involve especially realistic or clear dream content. Bad dreams are composed of bothersome or distressing content. Recurring dreams involve the same imagery repeating in multiple dreams over time. Even within normal dreams, there are certain types of content that are especially identifiable. Among the most recognizable and common themes in dreams are things like flying, falling, being chased, or being unable to find a bathroom.

What Are Types of Dreams?

In most cases, dreams don't affect sleep.Dreaming is part of healthy sleep and is generally considered to be completely normal and without any negative effects on sleep.Nightmares are the exception.Because nightmares involve awakenings, they can become problematic if they occur frequently.This negative cycle can cause some people with frequent nightmares to experience insomnia as a chronic sleep problem.For this reason, people who have nightmares more than once a week, have fragmented sleep, or have daytime sleepiness or changes to their thinking or mood should talk with a doctor.

Do Dreams Affect Sleep?

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Think about your dreams as soon as you wake up.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Try to wake up peacefully in the morning.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Remind yourself that dream recall is a priority.</li></ul>In the lead-up to bedtime, tell yourself that you will remember your dreams, and repeat this mantra before going to sleep. While this alone can’t ensure that you will recall your dreams, it can encourage you to remember to take the time to reflect on dreams before starting your day.

How Can You Remember Dreams?

Dreams are an integral part of sleep. Learn about when we dream, the types of dreams, and the competing theories for why we dream in the first place.

Psychology

Dreams: Why We Dream & How They Affect Sleep 

”Dreaming big is the first step, but if you want to achieve that dream, it requires each and every ounce of your energy”- Muniba MazariStep 1: DREAM BIG Dreaming big is the first step to your successful future. Have big dreams- those are the blueprint to your bright future.STEP 2: WORK,WORK,WORK The reason why people’s dreams don’t come true is not because they dream too big, it’s because they don’t plan and execute for that dream.So start dreaming and start working

Dreaming Big

dreaming big is the first step to reaching your goals, learn more about dreams and how to achieve them...

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DREAMING BIG

Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung put forth some of the most well-known theories of dreaming.
<ul>
<li>Freud's theory was that dreaming allows us to sort through unresolved and repressed wishes.</li>
<li>Carl Jung also believed dreams had psychological importance but differed about their meaning.</li>
</ul>

Early theories about dreaming

Recent studies suggest we employ the same neurophysiological mechanisms while dreaming that we use to construct and recall memories while we are awake.
Studies also found that vivid, bizarre and emotionally intense dreams are linked to parts of the amygdala and hippocampus. The amygdala plays a key role in processing and memory of emotional reactions. The hippocampus is implicated in important memory functions, such as the consolidation of information from short-term to long-term memory.

The relationship our dreams have with our memories

Dreams seem to help us to process emotions by constructing memories of them. The experience in our dreams may not be real, but the emotions we experience are real.
Our dream stories try to strip emotion out of some experiences by creating a memory of it. This mechanism seems to fulfil an important role because it helps us process our emotions.

Dreams help us process emotions

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Self Improvement

The Science Behind Dreaming

Dreams are a common experience throughout the world, with human beings, animals and even birds being able to dream in their sleep.
 According to a cluster of studies over the ages, a few theories about dreams:
<ul>
<li>Dreams reveal hidden truths and desires.</li>
<li>They help us process intense emotions.</li>
<li>They help in sorting through and consolidating memories.</li>
<li>Dreams help make sense of random neuron activity.</li>
<li>Dreams help in rehearsing a response to a challenging situation.</li>
<li>Dreams assist us to dramatize our personal concerns.</li>
</ul>
Many cultures and traditions interpret dreams in different ways, and bad dreams, it turns out, may not be that bad. 
Negative dreams can forewarn us and make us handle things in a better way, if and when the situation arises in real life.

Bad Dreams May Be Good

Read: What people around the world dream about For all the commonalities dreams exhibit, they vary across time-people who grew up watching black-and-white TV are more likely to dream in black and white -and culture.

What Is REM Sleep? Definition and Benefits

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The Science Behind Dreaming

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