The Science of Sleep and Dreams

It is a psychological condition through which an individual undergoes a natural cycle that requires him to sleep to ensure the body’s normal functioning. It is significant to get to know sleep and dreams with respect to their implications on the human body and mind, especially when it comes to healing processes and health. Sleep is divided into two main types: NREM sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep or deep sleep, and REM sleep, paradoxical sleep or active sleep. NREM sleep is further divided into three subtypes depending on the number of phases in the sleep process as follows. The first stage, N1, is the transitional phase between wakefulness and the subsequent stages of sleep.

REM sleep is the sleep stage where most dreams are seen and are vivid but quickly interrupted. The second is the N2 stage, during which multiple discharges are detected and considered actual sleep as body temperature and heartbeat decrease. The third stage of sleep is often known as NREM, non-rapid eye movement sleep and is also called deep sleep, slow-wave sleep or slow-wave sleep due to the frequencies of brain activity during this sort of sleep. REM sleep is the fourth and final stage of the sleep cycle, where most of the dreaming occurs, as mentioned above. REM sleep is a fast activity in the brain that produces waking-like brain activity, but the body muscles are paralyzed and cannot move, which means they can’t act out the dreams we have. It comprises essential cognitive functions and particulars such as the encoding processes, learning and emotion regulation. Most dreams, approximately 90%, take place during the REM stage, even though they can also be experienced during NREM. Those stimuli may be introduced into dream material, including what is done during wakefulness, how thoughts are thought before sleep and other known events.

Although the importance of dreams is still undefined, certain speculations argue that dreams perform specific roles in handling emotions, basic problem-solving, and memory integration. These include the reticular activating system, the hypothalamus, serotonin, and glutamate neurotransmitters. The parts of the brain that control the biological clock for sleep and wakefulness include the hypothalamus, the Suprachiasmatic nucleus — SCN — and the pineal gland. Therefore, for example, melatonin, a hormone produced in the pineal gland of our brains, prepares the body for sleep upon the onset of darkness. Some of the consequences that are attributed to sleep disorders include the inability to sleep, sleep interruptions characterized by pauses in breathing during sleeping, and excessive sleepiness during the day. These are conditions that affect millions of people across the world. As far as health is concerned, they signify the likelihood of increased rates of chronic diseases, mental ill health and decreased intellectual abilities. Sleep and dreams are very complex areas, and one could almost say that this science is still evolving. Awareness of the sleep stages and dreaming work and its impact will allow all people to have a better sleeping plan and, therefore, be healthier. This, thus, implies that the kind of sleep that one gets or lack of it, which is often referred to as a sleep disorder, should be attended to immediately if one is to enhance one’s health.

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