4 Ways that Dreaming Enhances your Life

This post takes a look at 4 Ways that Dreaming Enhances your Life. Scientific research into dream sleep shows (Spoiler alert!) how dreaming itself helps us to consolidate learning, exercise creative problem solving, improve social interaction and process emotions more effectively, This article looks at how this happens as motivation to get a good nights rest.

Dreaming is a subject that has fascinated us throughout our history. Shamanic journeys, biblical stories, the works of Freud and Jung are just a few examples. Mysterious, magical and divine links are often associated with it. But for now, let’s look at the science!

Until quite recently dreaming has been viewed as having no real purpose. This is not scientists  fault as this is what they have to work with…

Scientists are curious beyond belief 

Imagine applying this method to something as intangible as dreaming!

Incorporation of recent waking-life experiences in dreams correlates with frontal theta activity in REM sleep | Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience | Oxford Academic (oup.com)

When do we dream?

Nearly all our dreaming happens in REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. The last of our 4 stage sleep cycle which repeats through the night. REM gets longer each time. Around 2 hours in total. It’s important to get those 7 to 8 hours a night to make the most of our REM sleep. For more benefits why not read

9 Physical Health Benefits of Good Sleep | Welcome Hypnotherapy

4 Ways Dreaming Enhances your Life

1. Consolidates memories and learning.

Deep sleep has a big role to play in this but recent studies suggest that REM acts on the hippocampus. The part of the brain responsible for converting memories from short term to long term.

2. Creative problem solving

It’s easy to see how we can better come up with solutions to problems when we have a chance to flush out the emotional charge connected with them. We are able to see patterns without the background noise and establish a way of breaking unhelpful behaviours.

3. Improve social interaction

Lack of REM stops us interpreting other people’s facial expressions and understanding them and how they feel. We are more likely to see them as hostile.  So, if we react to this “hostility” its easy to see how things might spiral. Autistic people often have very disrupted REM sleep.

4. Process difficult emotions

 REM is the only time when we have little to none of the neurotransmitter/ stress hormone  noradrenaline.

Noradrenaline involvement in basic and higher integrated REM sleep processes – ScienceDirect

This quietens the mind and allows us to revisit or imagine scenarios, without the disturbing reactions we might have when awake and learn from them. (PTSD is different and mentioned below). What’s amazing is the ability to not only to remember important things but the ability to forget what doesn’t serve us.

When REM doesn’t work as it should

• PTSD – Noradrenaline is present when PTSD sufferers are in REM sleep. If the amygdala, the brains flight, flight, freeze response is triggered, the body gets ready to deal with an emergency. The mind believes there is a very real and present danger.
• Depression – The brain has a lot to process when in this overloaded state and encourages further REM sleep. It requires a great deal of energy to process and is exhausting it can be tempting to sleep even more.

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