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Ava Sin

Mrs. Stevens & Mrs. Radcliffe

Life Science

13 January 2017

What Factors Influence Dreams?

Each person has approximatly 1,500 dreams in one year. Thus meaning, everyone has

about four to six dreams per night, but usually, has no memory of them ever ocurring. However,

some dreams that may seem significant to us in some way are better recalled. There are many

different influencers that may affect our dreaming, but food has been shown to manipulate

dreams. If I have ten people, aged 12-14, eat different foods before going to sleep, then their

dreams will be better remembered.

What are the Lengths of Sleep Cycles?

When asleep, the human body constantly cycles through two different types of sleep. The

first type of sleep that occurs is called non-rapid eye movement. Whithin non-rapid eye

movement sleep, it is divided into three subcategories or stages (Natural). The first stage,

known as drowsy sleep(Mastin), lasts approximately 1-7 minutes (Natural) and causes brain

waves to slow down. This takes place while your body makes the transition between attempting

to fall asleep and actually being asleep (Mastin). The second stage lasts about 10-25 minutes

(Natural) while awareness and noises of the outside world begins to slowly fade away (Mastin).

Deep sleep is the last stage and usually lasts 20-40 minutes. All connections to any sense of

reality is gone and brain temperature, breathing rate, heart rate and blood pressure are at their

lowest levels (Mastin). After the three stages are completed, non-rapid movement sleep is
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finsihed and the next type of sleep can commence. It is called rapid eye movement sleep; more

commonly known as REM sleep (Natural), but also known as active sleep (Mastin), even

though the brain does not shut off at any time during the night. People might get into three or

four different rem sleep cycles (Keany). During this time, the body experiences low-amplitude,

fast brain waves and evidently, quick movements of the eyes (Natural). This is also odinarily,

when the most vivid and memorable dreams occur (Mastin).

Why Do People Dream?

Although there is not yet a definitive reason as to why people dream, and may never be,

there are many theories that have developed over time. Some researchers have reported that

dreaming is essential to our mental health. We can potentially do so by processing our life

problems and emotions in our sleep (Dream). Similiarly, it may act as a daily decluttering of our

mind of any stress or thougths accumulated throughtout the day. Also, it may act as our own

personal therapy session to be who we are or want to be without the judgement of others. Some

people have thought that dreaming allows us to create stories and situations that we want to

happen or have happened (Why). In addition, Sigmund Freud had his own ideas pertaining to

this particular topic. He believed that dreaming subconsciously expresses our thoughts, desires

and motivations. Studies have shown that, people who were woken up as they were transitioning

into the the REM sleep state, and therefore were not allowed to dream, experienced symtoms

such as anxiety, depression, difficulty focusing, weight gain, hallucinations and lack of

coordination (Dreams).

On Average, How Many Dreams does a Person have Each Night?

Based off of the recommended eight hours of sleep per night, experts say that the average
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number of dreams a person has each night is 4-6. Even if it is not rememebered, we still

experince dreaming every night (Dreams). Over time, this adds up to about 1,500 each year

(Amazing). However, 95% of dreams are forgotten (10). Every dream lasts approximately 5-20

minutes. 33.3% of every 24 hour day is hypothetically used for sleeping, which calculates to one

third of your life being spent asleep. Then, for every eight hours of sleep, two hours are

dedicated solely to dreaming (Sleep). Therefore, roughly six years of each persons life is

dreaming (10).

Why are Most Dreams Forgotten?

There is no one singular reason as to why we forget dreams, but there are some theories

and aspects that could affect the memory of dreams. In 2002, the American Journal of Psychiatry

had said that dreams may be forgotten because a memory hormone called norepinephrine is

turned off while sleeping. It may also be because we are constantly forgetting things everyday

even while awake. We tend not to remember things we personally deem as unimportant, so we

may not remember dreams purely because it does not seem significant enough to mentally save

the information (Hartmann). Studies have shown that five minutes after waking up, more than

50% of that nights dreams are forgotten and after ten minutes, 90% are forgotten (Amazing).

However, it has also been proven that different types of people are more susceptible to

remembering dreams. The director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program, Shelby Harris,

says that depressed or anxious people have an easier time recalling dreams. A study conducted in

2011, showed that adolescent girls were more likely to remember dreams than adolescent boys.

In addition, people who consider themselves more creative (Caceres) and/or are more interested

in dreams are more likely to remember them(Sleep).

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What Factors, Other Than Food, Affect Dreams?

There are many components that can potentially affect your dreams. Research shows that

people who suffer from some mental illness(es) can have their dreams altered as a result. An

example is that depression is known to cause people to only dream in black and white (LeMind).

Black and white dreams have also occurred 20% more often in people over 55 who grew up

watching colorless television from ages 3-10, according to a study done at the University of

Dundee in 2008 (Chang). Other studies conducted in Germany showed that participants who

smelled something nice, such as roses, before going to sleep, produced more positive dreams

than those who smelled something repulsive, such as rotten eggs. (LeMind). The Association of

the Study of Dreams has said that external sounds could be exactly echoed in the dream, but

some people are not affected at all by it. It had also been proven that our innermost fears can be

revealed, such as dreaming about flying or falling from a high place (Chang). Moreover, going to

bed hungry can lead to dreams about food while watching or being told a scary story can cause

frightening and suspenseful dreams (Osmun).

What is the Most Accurate Way to Record Dreams?

The Smithsonian Institute in Japan has developed a way to measure brain activity during

sleep and reconstruct it in a way that can be replayed. However, this seemingly implausible

device is in beginning stages and is only accurate 60% of the time (Nelson). This way of

recording dreams is obviously unreasonable for most of the population, so there are more

conventional ways you can try at home. One of the most popular ways is keeping a dream

journal and pen or pencil by your bed. Some tricks and tips include mentally telling yourself to
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make an effort to remember your dreams before going to sleep (DreamsCloud). Upon waking up,

lie still in bed for a few minutes (Sharon) with your eyes closed and immediatly attempt to

recollect your nights dream (DreamsCloud). Then, write down your dream in as much detail as

possible (Sharon) and in present tense. Lastly, just like many other things, regularly

remembering dreams will take practice. After a while, you may be able to start recognizing

recurring themes, emotions or scenarios (DreamsCloud).

If I have ten people, aged 12-14, eat different foods before going to sleep, then their

dreams will be better remembered. Simply, there are two types of sleep that are theoretically

necessary to our overall health and well-being with the first containing three phases within it.

Most dreams are not remembered, but if you are intrigued to learn more about your own dreams,

you already have a head start. As previously established, people with an interest in dreams, better

recall them. However, dreaming is still a mysterious and perplexing concept to us and is being

continued to be studied everyday.

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Works Cited

"Amazing Facts About Dreams." Amazing Facts About Dreams. Time Travel Dreams, n.d. Web.

08 Nov. 2016. <http://timetraveldreams.com/amazing-dreams-facts.html>

Caceres, Vanessa. "Why You Remember (Or Forget) Your Dreams." EverydayHealth.com.

Everyday Health Media, 24 Jan. 2014. Web. 08 Nov. 2016.

<http://www.everydayhealth.com/news/why-you-remember-or-forget-your-dreams/>

Chang, Angel. "10 Surprising Things That Affect The Nature Of Your Dreams."

LittleThings.com. Little Things Inc., 06 Jan. 2016. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

<http://www.littlethings.com/things-that-affect-your-dreams/>

Cherry, Kendra. "Why Do We Dream? The Most Popular Theories." Verywell. N.p., 1 Sept.

2016. Web. 02 Nov. 2016.

<https://www.verywell.com/why-do-we-dream-top-dream-theories-2795931>

Cherry, Kendra. "10 Facts You Should Know About Dreams." Verywell. About Inc., 2016. Web.

03 Nov. 2016. <https://www.verywell.com/facts-about-dreams-2795938>

DreamsCloud. "12 Easy Steps for Keeping a Dream Journal and Getting Started Tonight." The

Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 15 Dec. 2015. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dreamscloud/12-easy-steps-for-keeping-a-dream-journa

l-_b_8812012.html>

"Dreams: Why We Dream, Lucid Dreaming, Nightmares, Common Dreams, and More."

WebMD. WebMD, 2016. Web. 02 Nov. 2016.

<http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/dreaming-overview#1>
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Hartmann, Ernest. "Why Do Memories of Vivid Dreams Disappear Soon After Waking Up?"

Scientific American. Scientific American, 01 Apr. 2011. Web. 08 Nov. 2016.

<https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-memories-of-vivid-dreams/>

Keany, Jim, Dr. "What Factors Influence Dreams?" Personal interview. 17 Nov. 2016

LeMind|, By Anna. "6 Factors That Influence Your Dreams." Learning Mind. Learning Mind, 16

May 2014. Web. 03 Nov. 2016.

<http://www.learning-mind.com/6-factors-that-influence-your-dreams/>

Mastin, Luke. "Sleep - Types and Stages of Sleep - Non-REM (NREM) Sleep." Types and

Stages of Sleep-Non-REM Sleep. N.p., 2013. Web. 01 Nov. 2016.

<http://www.howsleepworks.com/types_nonrem.html>

"Natural Patterns of Sleep." Healthy Sleep.

Http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/science/what/sleep-patterns-rem-nrem, 18

Dec. 2007. Web. 28 Oct. 2016.

<http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/science/what/sleep-patterns-rem-nrem>

Nelson, Bryan. "Scientists Learn How to Record Your Dreams and Play Them Back to You."

MNN. Narrative Content Group, 2016. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

<http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/stories/scientists-learn-how-to-re

cord-your-dreams-and-play-them>

Osmun, Rosie. "Dream Hacking: Understanding Everyday Behaviors That Impact Your

Dreams." Amerisleep Blog. Amerisleep, 18 Feb. 2016. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

<http://www.amerisleep.com/blog/dream-hacking/>
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Sharon. "Benefits Of Keeping A Dream Journal." Natural Health Ezine. Nomadic Theme, 24

Jan. 2012. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

<http://naturalhealthezine.com/benefits-of-keeping-a-dream-journal/>

Sleep Foundation. "How Often Do We Dream | Sleep.org." SleepOrg. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov.

2016. <https://sleep.org/articles/how-often-dreams/>