In sum, full sleep cycles and healthy habits that promote dreaming are essential for the proper functioning of our minds and bodies alike.
More recently in 2017, psychologist Rubin Naiman published a paper entitled “ Dreamless: The Silent Epidemic of REM Sleep Loss.” He explains that modern humans are dream-deprived, the noticeable consequences of which may range from irritability, depression, and weight gain to compromised memory and immune functions. She also refers to seminal studies on dream psychology showing that we feel the negative impacts of dream deprivation even before those of sleep deprivation. This finding shows positive correlations with babies’ cognitive development, memory and language formation, and more. Simko notes that newborns spend around half of their sleep time in pro-dreaming REM states, which is twice that of adults. In addition to providing the capability for psychological insight, dreaming is vital to our health and well-being.ĭr. Thankfully, our bodies have developed this adaptive mechanism to keep us from physically enacting this inner activity.
Next, she continues, “Dreams are a result of energy firings near the visual cortex at the base of the brain, which may explain why dreams are typically visual in nature.”Īnother fun fact she mentions is that our major muscle groups are temporarily paralyzed while dreaming. It’s characterized by low amplitude, high frequency energy waves,” Dr. (R.E.M is also a killer song by Ariana Grande, but I digress.) “REM sleep isn’t particularly heavy sleep. Dream MechanismsĪside from a small population afflicted with disorders including Charcot–Wilbrand syndrome (CWS), everyone dreams.ĭreams take place during the REM (rapid eye movement) stages of sleep, which occur in cycles throughout the night. “It’s our way of communicating with the unconscious mind.”ĭream content can include unfinished business for which we seek closure, as well as daily residue and upcoming tasks or events. “Dreams are a snapshot of what’s going on in our lives: what we’re doing, what problems we have, who we love, what occupies our time, and other messages,” Dr. But psychologists and the spiritually inclined often see their deeper meaning. So aim to put your phone away 30 mins before bed, and avoid viewing potentially stimulating content like social media/news as it can impact your mood/anxiety levels which will result in less sleep.Some sleep scientists may see dreams primarily as a neurological function. ⁃ Studies have also shown that reducing screen time before bed leads to improved sleep quality, falling asleep faster and waking up less during the night. ⁃ Reduce consumption of caffeine, alcohol and nicotine in the 2-3 hours before bed ⁃ Aim for consistent sleep and waking times – so try to avoid the pattern of early wake ups during the week and very late wake ups at the weekend.
⁃ Aim to set aside approx 30 mins before bed to wind down and destress. It also results in longer recovery times. Lack of sleep also impacts your exercise resulting in reduced reaction times, accuracy, strength and endurance. For each extra hour of sleep energy intake decreased by 162 cals per day. There was also a link to weight loss in this group (unsurprisingly given the reduced calorie intake). A further study investigated the impact of improving sleep length on energy intake and found that extending it to 8 hrs a night led to a decrease in energy intake of 270 cals per day. Studies also show that reduced sleep is associated with an increased energy intake – sleeping under 5.5 hrs a night was linked to an average increase of almost 250 cals per day. Studies have shown an association between increased BMI and those with a chronic lack of sleep (under 7hrs a night). Chronic lack of sleep has negative effects on the immune, endocrine, nervous and cardiovascular systems and increases risk of illness and injury. Sleep is one of the most underrated contributors to overall health and body composition. Whilst fat/weight loss always comes down to maintaining a calorie deficit there are things which help make this easier – sleep being one of the biggest ones.