Why Do We Dream? What Happens in Your Brain While You Sleep

I am someone who dreams every single day. In fact, sometimes I get multiple dreams, some are bizarre and some are curated based on what I thought about or did during the day. Isn’t this fascinating, how our brain can beautifully create a virtual movie based on what we think. I am keen to know why do we dream and how these are created.

Dreams can be vivid, strange, and sometimes so realistic that they stay with us after waking. But why does the brain create these stories while we are asleep? Although scientists still do not have one definite answer, research suggests that dreaming is closely linked to how the brain processes memories, emotions and experiences.

What Exactly Is A Dream?

“A dream is a series of thoughts, images, emotions and sensations that occur during sleep. Dreams can happen during different stages of sleep, but they are generally more vivid and easier to remember when they occur during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep,” explains Dr Chandni Tugnait, Psychotherapist, Founder and Director of Gateway of Healing.

During REM sleep, brain activity increases and can resemble activity seen when we are awake.

At the same time, most skeletal muscles are temporarily relaxed, which helps prevent us from physically acting out our dreams.

Why The Brain Creates Dreams

There is no single explanation for dreaming. Scientists believe several processes may contribute.

Dreams May Help Process Emotions

Dreaming may be involved in how the brain processes emotional experiences. Events that are stressful, exciting, or upsetting can sometimes appear in dreams, although not necessarily in the same form.

This may explain why periods of stress can be accompanied by more disturbing or emotionally intense dreams.

Dreams May Be Linked To Memory

Sleep plays an important role in memory consolidation, the process through which newly learned information and experiences are strengthened and organised.

Dreaming may occur alongside these memory-related processes. Elements from recent experiences can be incorporated into dreams, sometimes mixed with older memories or completely unrelated images.

The Sleeping Brain Remains Active

Sleep does not mean that the brain switches off. Different brain regions remain active, particularly during REM sleep.

One theory published in a PubMed Central study suggests that dreams are partly the brain's attempt to make sense of internally generated activity. This could help explain why dreams can combine people, places and events in unusual ways.

Why Are Some Dreams So Bizarre

Dreams often do not follow the logic of waking life. During REM sleep, areas involved in emotion and imagery can be highly active, while some parts of the prefrontal cortex involved in critical thinking and logical judgement are less active.

As a result, a dream may feel completely normal while it is happening, even when its events make little sense after waking.

Why We Forget Most Dreams

Most people dream several times a night but remember only a small proportion of their dreams. Dream recall depends partly on when a person wakes and how quickly the dream-related memory fades.

Dreams remembered immediately after waking may disappear within minutes if they are not actively recalled. Waking during or soon after REM sleep also makes dream recall more likely.

According to a study published in PubMed Central, the ability to remember dreams depends on several factors, including cognitive abilities, mental state, individual personality, and somatic symptoms.

Do Dreams Have A Hidden Meaning?

Dreams can reflect memories, emotions, concerns, and everyday experiences, but there is no scientifically established method for assigning a universal meaning to specific dreams.

For example, dreaming about falling does not necessarily mean the person is losing control in real life. Dream interpretation is highly individual, and the same dream can mean different things to different people.

When Should Unusual Dreams Be A Concern

Occasional vivid or unpleasant dreams are normal. However, frequent nightmares that disturb sleep, cause significant distress or affect daytime functioning may need attention.
Repeatedly acting out dreams, particularly with movements such as kicking, punching or shouting, can also be a sign of a sleep disorder and should be discussed with a doctor.

Final Word

Dreaming remains one of the most fascinating mysteries of sleep. Scientists believe dreams may be connected to memory processing, emotional regulation and the brain's activity during sleep, but their precise purpose is still not fully understood. So, while your brain may appear to be resting at night, it is far from inactive, and the strange stories you experience in your dreams may be one of the ways that complex activity becomes conscious.