The Three Most Important Benefits of REM Sleep Dreaming

1. The Importance of REM Sleep For Processing Trauma

REM Sleep As a Form of Self-Therapy

Recent studies have indicated that the dreaming state of REM sleep has an important role in processing past trauma. This is because during REM sleep we relive past memories and are able to work through them without the burden of the emotional charge connected to them. Therefore, REM sleep dreaming functions as a form of self-therapy. The reason for this is because during REM sleep this is the only time in a twenty-four-hour period that there is no concentration of noradrenaline in the brain. This is a key stress-related chemical responsible for creating anxiety. In other words, it is not time that heals all wounds, more specifically it is time spent in dream sleep that heals all emotional wounds.

The Cause of PTSD’s Recurring Nightmares

In order to resolve our emotional past it is required to dream about the painful past experiences to work through them. Only actually dreaming about these specific emotional themes and sentiments allows individuals to accomplish emotional closure. This will permit them to move forward without being enslaved by their traumatic past.

People who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have major difficulties recovering from their horrific trauma experiences. The reason is because their REM sleep is disturbed as they have higher than normal levels of noradrenaline released by their nervous system during sleep. This prevents these patients from entering and maintaining REM-sleep dreaming. Consequently, their brain at night cannot effectively strip away the emotions connected to past trauma. The stress chemical environment is simply too high.

The brain of PTSD patients is unable to remove the emotional charge during the first night following the traumatic experience. Consequently, it will try again the following night, and the next, etc., like a broken record. This is the reason why PTSD patients experience recurring nightmares of their traumatic past.

A Potential Treatment For PTSD’s Recurring Nightmares

The good news is that research has indicated that PTSD patients’ symptoms can be significantly reduced. This can be achieved by gradually lowering the levels of noradrenaline in the brain during sleep. The medicine called Prazosin seems very promising in this regard. This potential treatment re-establishes the right chemical conditions for sleep to do its therapy work. This is done by restoring healthy REM sleep quality. Consequently, this will decrease the frequency and intensity of painful recurring nightmares. However, more research is required as there are side effects when taking high doses. Additionally, Prazosin does not work as good for every individual.

2. The Importance of REM Sleep For the Brain’s Emotional Compass

Correct Interpretation of the Social Environment

Another benefit of REM sleep is related to correctly reading the facial expressions of other individuals. It is proven that having sufficient REM sleep allows individuals to correctly interpret the intent and emotional state of other people based on their facial expressions. This is one of the most important signals in our environment as they directly influence our behavior. The better the quality of REM sleep at night, the better the comprehension of the social world the next day. This is the result of the finetuning of the emotional decoding networks of the brain during REM sleep.

Misinterpretation of Social Cues Because of a Lack of REM Sleep

The opposite is also true however. Studies indicate that individuals who don’t have enough REM sleep at night are unable to accurately distinguish one emotions from another. The brain’s emotional navigation system malfunctions and is unable to precisely read giveaway cues on other people’s faces. The lack of REM sleep disrupts the brain’s emotional compass of these individuals. Consequently, their social and emotional comprehension of the world around them often is incorrect. This may lead to inappropriate decisions and actions with potentially dire consequences.

Emotional Resilience and Mental Health

Additionally, sufficient REM sleep is crucial for maintaining an emotionally stable and rational state of mind. The lack of REM sleep causes people to be emotionally irritable and more likely to catastrophize minor issues. Furthermore, a lack of sleep has a significant impact on the emotional brain and can lead to the development of various mental disorders. More information can be found on the page focused on The Impact of a Lack of Sleep on Mental Health and the Emotional Brain.

3. The Benefit of REM Sleep For Creativity and Problem Solving

A Description of the Creative Problem Solving Abilities While Dreaming

Another important benefit of REM sleep dreaming is the ability to process information which leads to creativity and problem solving. Studies have illustrated that the brain operates differently when dreaming. When dreaming we are no longer constrained to see typical connections between informational units. Instead the brain is actively biased to seeking out the most distant and nonobvious links between sets of complex information. The dreaming brain uses a wide-angle lens allowing us to view stored information in largely different ways. This enables us to distinguish unique patterns and this sparks creativity. These benefits are obtained when an individual has an appropriate amount of sleep during the night and thus obtained sufficient late-morning REM sleep.

The Benefit of Longer Naps For Creativity

The same creative benefits can be achieved when taking a sixty to ninety minutes nap, as this contains REM sleep. A well-known historic figure who used the creative power of REM sleep dreaming with naps was Thomas Edison. He understood the creative benefits of dreaming and would regularly take controlled naps. After waking up from his nap he would write down all the creative ideas which came to him.

Scientific Breakthroughs and Artistic Masterpieces Thanks to REM Sleep Dreaming

Numerous leaps forward in human progress were the result of REM-sleep dreaming. An example is the ordering of the table of elements by Dmitri Mendeleev. He came up with the table in a dream after years of trying to establish a logical order to all of the elements in the universe. While awake he was unable, but REM sleep dreaming allowed him to solve the puzzle. Additionally, many precious artistic gifts originate from dreams. Examples include famous songs like “Yesterday” and “Let It Be” from Paul McCartney of The Beatles and Satisfaction from Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones.

The Reason Why Children Learn New Languages Much Faster Than Adults

REM sleep is especially dominant during early life as mentioned on the page focused on The Importance of Sleep Throughout our Lives. This is the reason why children and infants can learn a new language much faster and easier compared to adults. They are able to learn the abstract complex grammatical rules much faster because they sleep a lot. This allows REM sleep to facilitate the comprehension of the high-level grammatical structure of new languages they are exposed to.

We can conclude that when a person has difficulties solving a complex problem the best thing to do is “sleep on it”. This is an expression existing in most languages around the world and is scientifically proven as correct.