They can help heal the past and prepare you for the future.
Dreaming. If your fantasies are positive they can be one of the most pleasant, cost-free escapes you can access these days. From funny situations to stress-free getaways and romantic encounters, the options are as endless as your subconscious imagination.
Why we dream is not entirely clear but we have done so since the beginning of humanity, and seem to need to.
Here are 7 interesting things you may have not known about your dreams and what they do for you.
They Prepare You to Face Your Fears
Nightmares can be disturbing but they can also be quite functional. According to researchers from the Université de Genève in Switzerland and the University of Wisconsin, they serve a purpose. In one study, scientists found the brain areas responsible for controlling your emotions responded better in fearful situations in reality after having scary dreams. The insula and the cingulate cortex were the two areas of the brain identified in the study as significant.
You Can Control Them
Scientists from the University of Adelaide discovered certain techniques in 2017 that can allow you to control your dreams. Lucid dreaming happens when you are aware you are dreaming and your decisions play a part in what happens.
Related: Does Radical Self Care Make Sense?
Part of attaining this state intentionally involves waking up after five hours of sleep. You then stay awake for a bit of time and go back to sleep once more. Doing this makes you more likely to enter into an REM state, where you are more likely to dream and be aware of it. Click here to read more.
Dreams Help You Heal Painful Memories
When you sleep, studies have shown your levels of stress chemicals go down. Your brain is then able to process your memories with a bit of emotional detachment. This process can potentially make it easier for your brain to digest painful experiences. A good night’s sleep really does heal all wounds.
There Are Genes That Determine How Much You Dream
If you feel like you dream a lot more than your friends, it might be that you do. In 2018 researchers from Japan identified two genes-Chrm1 and Chrm3-that regulate how much REM and non-REM animals experience. It’s thought the same might apply in humans.
Your Dreams Don’t Just Happen During REM Sleep
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t only dream when you are experiencing rapid eye movement, or REM sleep. You can also dream at other points in your night.
Researchers from Aalto University in Finland found that people can also dream in NREM sleep and when they do, their brain activity resembles that of someone who is awake.
How You Dream Can Be Connected With Brain Disease
Sometimes dreaming isn’t easy. People who have something called REM sleep behavior disorder have REM-active neurons that don’t act as they should. These neurons are responsible for turning your dreams on and off. Unfortunately, about 80% of people who develop neurodegenerative brain disorders later in their life, like Parkinsons or dementia, have this disorder years before their disease strikes.
Your Muscles Are Paralyzed When You Dream
The reason you don’t bolt from your bed and run like mad from the dinosaur chasing you down your street in your mind’s eye when you dream is that your brain has paralyzed your muscles. Two brain chemicals work together to get the job done during REM sleep: the neurotransmitters gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine. At least, this was found to be true in rats. Scientists are hoping the finding can lead to new treatments for sleep disorders in humans.
Dreaming is nature’s way of helping you process the world and what you do in it. Click here for tips on getting the best night’s sleep possible.
photo credits: Tongsai/Shutterstock.com
