Sleep and Dreams

Why Do We Dream?

• We don't really know why
• But we do have some theories
• 1) To help the brain sort info
• 2) They reflect our feelings
• 3) Dreams serve no purpose at all

What's Freud's Approach?

• "Interpretation Of Dreams"
• His theory: nothing we do happens by chance, everything happens for a reason
• The unconscious expresses itself in a symbolic language
• Our unfulfilled wishes/impluses are released through our dreams

WHATS THE BIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH ON DREAMS?

• It's brain conditioning-darkness makes the brain lose function, just like rarely used muscles will atrophy
• "Dreaming might be a kind of screen saver in which it doesn't really matter what the content is as long as certain parts of the brain are active" - Steven Pinker

HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN A SUBJECT IS DREAMING?

• Dreams mostly occur during REM
• Researchers awakened subjects and observed that they could recall dreams
• In NREM subjects couldn't remember if they dreamt or not

DO DREAMS CHANGE WITH AGE?

• Newborns need 16-20 hrs of sleep
• The elderly need about 8 hrs, but not all together
• REM & NREM last for 50 min in kids and 90 min for adults
• As we get older we have a lower chance of having dreams

Are Dreams Really Needed?

• "We still do not know whether there is a need to dream or not, but is evident that the body requires REM sleep..." (Kelly, Kandel).
• REM provides us sleep with no interruptions
• The longer the deprivations of sleep, the larger and longer the REM rebound

HOW CAN WE LEARN TO UNDERSTAND OUR DREAMS?

• Record Your Dreams
• Identify how you feel in your dream
• Identify recurring thoughts in your dreams and daily life
• Consider all the elements of a dream
• You're the expert on yourself

What is a Dream?

• "a succession of images, thoughts, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep."

DO NIGHTMARES REVEAL EMOTIONAL DISTRESS?

• Nightmares can be brought on by traumatic events in everyday life
• Physical aggression is most frequently reported theme in nightmares
• 5-6% of the population report nightmares
• "Bad Dreams" are especially haunted by interpersonal conflicts

Do We Dream in Color?

• About 80% of all dreams are in color, there's a small percentage of people who claim to only dream in greyscale. In studies where dreamers have been awakened and asked to select colors from a chart that match those in their dreams, soft pastel colors were most frequently chosen.

Works Cited

• Charles W. Bryant "Why do we dream?" 12 August 2010. HowStuffWorks.com. 13 March 2017
• "Sigmon Freud." Dreammoods.com. Dream Moods, Inc, June 2014. Web. 14 Mar. 2017.
• "Why We Dream: Biological Theory Roundup." Mental Floss. Mental Floss, Inc, 30 June 2009. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.
• Breus, Michael J., P.h.D. "How Do Scientists Study Dreams?" Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, 15 May 2015. Web. 14 Mar. 2017.
• "Dream." Def. 1. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com LLC, n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.
• Whiteman, Honor. "Emotional impact of nightmares 'rarely due to fear,' study shows." Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 01 Feb. 2014. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.
• "Changes in Sleep with Age." Changes in Sleep with Age | Healthy Sleep. N.p., 18 Dec. 2007. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.
• Cardoso, Silvia Helena, Ph.D. "Do We Need To Dream?" Do We Need To Dream? State University of Campinas, 1997. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.
• "How to Analyze Your Dreams (And Why It’s Important)." Psych Central. N.p., 17 July 2016. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.
• Cherry, Kendra. "10 Facts You Should Know About Dreams." Verywell.com. VeryWell, 14 Oct. 2016. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.