dreams and sleep
Independent Study- Katie Skrepnek
does everybody dream?
Your brain can be just as active while you are asleep as it is while you are awake. It...
- forgets memories that haven't been re-enforced enough to remember (that's why only studying the night before a test doesn't work!)
- creates connections between thoughts that can have unexpected outcomes. (why sometimes you wake up with a new idea or remember/figure out something overnight)
- removes toxins from your brain that have been building up throughout the day from brain activity. They are flushed through the bloodstream to the kidneys and eventually leave the body.
there is a common myth that if someone is sleepwalking, it is dangerous to wake them but it is actually more dangerous to not wake them up. And it's not just humans, animals can sleepwalk this this cat in the video below:
why is sleep so important?
- diabetes
- heart problems
- depression
- stress
- weight gain
- memory loss
- shorter mortality
is it possible to over-sleep?
- diabetes
- heart disease
- depression
- shorter mortality
- weight gain
- laziness
- headaches
what do different dreams mean?
Although certain dreams may mean nothing at all... just your imagination, these are some possible explanations from recent studies
CHASING:you may not be addressing something in your life that you should be.
FLYING:
related to how much control we have in our lives and whether we are confident enough to achieve our goals.
FALLING:
slow type of falling that reflects the act of letting go of something and falling from a great height reflects something in life that feels very out of control.
DEATH:
related to dramatic changes like the end of one thing to make room for something new.
what is lucid dreaming
Lucid dreaming is when part of your brain is asleep but you are in a way awake so can control your dreams. By questioning reality and realizing something is weird, you can do whatever you want but you still know its not the real world. It's kind of like being asleep but your mind is still fully awake and can control it's dreams.
WAYS TO ACHIEVE LUCID DREAMING
bibliography MLA
"Q & A: Do Blind People Dream?" Q & A: Do Blind People Dream? N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
"The Science of Lucid Dreaming." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
"What Is Dreaming and What Does It Tell Us about Memory? [Excerpt]." Scientific American Global RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2015.
"Top Shelf: Hacking Your Brain with Lucid Dreaming." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.
"Oversleeping Side Effects: Is Too Much Sleep Harmful?" WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2015.
"Sleepwalking Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.