A lot of people are convinced that they are never dreaming. But, scientific studies prove that every healthy human being is dreaming every night. Sleeping expert Dr. med. h.c. Guenther W. Amann-Jennson explains why dreaming is so important for our health.
“Our dreams fulfil many functions: starting with the muscular tension up to the apparent satisfaction of desires. Primarily they are necessary for the recreation and stabilization of our spiritual life”, so sleep scientist Amann-Jennson. The story line of dreams disregards any laws of space and time, rationality, logic and moral we follow during wakefulness. First, dreams are helping to process the daily stress, meaning that small problems and sorrows of the daily routine are quickly dealt with. Most of the time, these every day dreams have no deeper significance and hence don’t get encrypted. “Dreams are offering the opportunity to relieve the tension that comes along with desires and needs. Out of this reason, sufficient and healthy sleep is very important. Because, during the last third of the night we are having the most intense phases of dreaming. If the REM-sleep is shortened or even prevented, one is waking up not sufficiently rested and refreshed”, knows Amann-Jennson.
Alcohol is killing dreams
Alcohol is one of the biggest enemies of REM-sleep, because it is able to completely prevent dreaming. You were sleeping the whole night like a log but still you are not really well rested. Chemical sleeping pills are also limiting the brain activity and no or less dreams are taking place. If necessary, you should help yourself with herbal active ingredients like valerian or hops. They are not benumbing the brain and consequently are not preventing dreams.
Excessive stress is blocking distinct REM-sleep
Longterm disturbances of REM-sleep lead to a breaking through of the dreams into the daily consciousness, the so-called day-dreams. A balanced and recreational sleep is important for every human being. “Sleep measurings of people with – for example – too much stress or a high risk of burnout clearly show shortened REM-phases”, Dr. med. h.c. Amann-Jennson is warning. As soon as you are not able to sleep well over a longer period of time without any evident reason, you should ask for help from a doctor or therapist.
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