We sleep for about a third of our lives, babies for up to 20 hours a day, adolescents up to 12, even adults 7 to 8 hrs. We are finding out more and more about the structure of sleep. The most puzzling aspect of sleep is dreaming. Why does the brain generate images and action while we sleep, even when most of the brain’s activity decreases? You’re at a party and everyone seems to be having a good time except you, because they’re all talking in a foreign language. The person who is conversing with you is stepping on your foot. Perturbed, you turn away and look across the room. Standing there in a long black frock coat is your long-dead grandfather. You are happy to see him and go to talk with him. Suddenly, the room has changed to a large ballroom and the men are all in black frock
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During waking the frontal cortex is reigning in the limbic system. During dreams, the frontal cortex metabolic rate decreases drastically, and the limbic system goes wild. Rational regulation of your emotional brain goes offline. We have wild escapades, violence, fighting, running. My wife says that I run in my sleep. I also get into fights and one time I actually hit her. That woke her and me up.
So dreams are dreamlike because the prefrontal cortex is offline during REM sleep, allowing the limbic system to run wild. We are trying to understand why this happens during REM sleep.
What about the content of dreams? Some may be a recapitulation of the day’s events and can even give solutions or insight into problems that have vexed us. Some people even wake up and write down a creative thought or answer to a problem. Sometimes they are disguised messages and insights. There is a whole science or pseudo-science of interpreting dreams.
Why do some people dream more than others, or have more vivid dreams, or remember them more? What is the significance of different dream content?
Why does the prefrontal cortex turn off and the limbic system run
During waking the frontal cortex is reigning in the limbic system. During dreams, the frontal cortex metabolic rate decreases drastically, and the limbic system goes wild. Rational regulation of your emotional brain goes offline. We have wild escapades, violence, fighting, running. My wife says that I run in my sleep. I also get into fights and one time I actually hit her. That woke her and me up.
So dreams are dreamlike because the prefrontal cortex is offline during REM sleep, allowing the limbic system to run wild. We are trying to understand why this happens during REM sleep.
What about the content of dreams? Some may be a recapitulation of the day’s events and can even give solutions or insight into problems that have vexed us. Some people even wake up and write down a creative thought or answer to a problem. Sometimes they are disguised messages and insights. There is a whole science or pseudo-science of interpreting dreams.
Why do some people dream more than others, or have more vivid dreams, or remember them more? What is the significance of different dream content?
Why does the prefrontal cortex turn off and the limbic system run