• Question: what makes us dream?

    Asked by 263eura33 to Alex, Ali, Kerry, Philip on 19 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Alex Pool

      Alex Pool answered on 19 Nov 2014:

      There is still a lot of debate about why we dream (and animals dream too).
      A lot of people believe we dream to assist the body with rest and repair. Others speculate that we dream for psychological reasons: to reexamine the day’s events, to reduce and relieve stress, and to provide an outlet for pent-up emotions. But it’s basically your brain being active whilst you sleep. You can’t permanently turn your brain off (or you’d die) so that’s what it’s doing why you’re asleep.

    • Photo: Philip Ratcliffe

      Philip Ratcliffe answered on 19 Nov 2014:

      Well, basically it’s just that your brain doesn’t ever completely switch off (say, like a computer can) – question: who’d switch it back on again if it did?
      Whether or not there’s a real purpose to dreaming is another question and I don’t think there’s a definite answer.

    • Photo: Alison Thomson

      Alison Thomson answered on 19 Nov 2014:

      What the guys said =) your brain never switches off entirely, and when you’re sleeping you go through a cycle that takes you from light sleep to deep sleep. At the deepest stage of sleep, called the REM cycle (Rapid Eye Movement cycle) your brain cells are almost as active as they are during the day, and this is the time when your dreams are most vivid.
      Some scientists have suggested that you dream as you process what has happened during the day and commit it to memory.

      Good question!

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