Psychology Update — Why Dreaming (Rem Sleep) May Be Important for Your Health

Posted November 20th, 2023 by David Berg & filed under Introduction To Psychology, Nervous System, Psychological Disorders and Therapy, Psychology Update, Sleep Disorders, States of Consciousness, States of Consciousness & Sleep, Stress and Health Psychology.

(This update is a much requested article.)

TITLE

Why Dreaming (Rem Sleep) May Be Important for Your Health

DESCRIPTION

What a great article that describes how and why we sleep and the functions of dreaming. The article specifically has a focus on problems arising from not getting enough “regular sleep” and REM sleep (the dream stage). “Doctors have warned for years that Americans are not getting enough sleep, with health consequences ranging from drowsy driving and irritability to an increased risk of dementia, heart disease and early death. Now, a recent study suggests that one particular type of sleep may be especially important when it comes to how the brain responds to stressful situations.”

The article provides a detail description of the stages of sleep, the REM stage and its possible functions, as well as what happens when sleep is disrupted. The article is a must to be paired with the “states of consciousness” and health/stress section of the text book and lectures.

SOURCE

Time, October 27, 2017, by Amanda MacMillan

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://time.com/4970767/rem-sleep-dreams-health/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email-share-article&utm-term=health_research

(Tiny URL) https://tinyurl.com/2rnv9yew

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (taken directly from the article):

•Why is dreaming considered important to your health?

•What happens during REM sleep? What are the hypothesized functions of REM sleep in relation to the overall sleep cycles?

•What causes a disruption of REM Sleep? And what are the hypothesized consequences? What does the article recommend regarding getting more REM Sleep?