WHY WE DREAM + HOW WE CAN INTERPRET OUR DREAMS

A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions and sensation that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. They are the stories the brain tells during the sleep. On an average, a person may dream five or six full years in a lifetime. 

STAGES OF SLEEP

Let's have a look at the different stages of sleep:

Stage 1. Falling asleep/light sleep

Stage 2. Heart rate slows and body temperature drops

Stage 3. Deep sleep

Stage 4. Muscles and tissues repair

Stage 5. [REM - Rapid eye movement] Body is paralyzed and dreams begin

THEORIES ABOUT DREAMING

Nobody has an answer to why we actually dream, but there are a couple interesting theories that we can talk about:

• Memory consolidation: The first theory says that dreams help enhancing memory, which is why a good sleep is always recommended especially after studying something or before an exam. For instance, one time I was thinking about buying a new mobile phone and the same night I had a dream where I was at a mobile store looking for phones around me, which could possibly be my mind reminding me that I had to buy a new phone.
• Practicing survival: Dreams (or nightmares) allow us to face or get in touch with the situations we would avoid or fear from when awake, which gives us an opportunity to experience the emotions that we might feel if we actually experienced those dreams. This will let us practice how we would handle terrifying situations.
• Processing emotions and the unconsciousness: Dreams allow us to think of the ways in which we can deal with certain situations we did not encounter in real. While we dream, we don't have a choice but to face what we see, which gives space for feelings and emotions reinforced by the dream situation.
• To maximize success
• Boosting creativity

SLEEP DISRUPTIONS/DISORDERS

1. Lucid dreaming: Lucid dreaming is when you're conscious during a dream. This normally happens in the deep sleep or the REM stage. During a lucid dream, you are aware of the consciousness, in some cases you are even able to control the dream's story line, which is almost like a movie in which you're the director and the actor, as well. I do not remember if I've ever experienced this, but I would like to someday.
2. Hypnagogic or Hypnopompic hallucinations: It is when you are in the middle of consciousness and sleep. It can seem very real and are often pretty terrifying. For instance, you see a demon in your room as you wake up because you saw the same when you were asleep. On a less extreme account, I once had a dream where I was getting attacked by a bunch of people, and the same people seemed to appear in my room as I woke up (though they really weren't there).
3. Sleep paralysis: It's when your body still thinks you're in a dream even when your mind is awake, which makes you unable to move. During a sleep paralysis, one may hallucinate (see, hear or feel things that aren't really there), which often results in fear. This may happen to people with depression, anxiety, fatigue, stress or disrupted sleep schedule.
4. Sleep walking: This is an act where you are getting up and walking around while still being asleep. This happens more with kids, than adults. It can be caused due to stress, fever, irregular sleep and it is also genetic.

HOW CAN YOU INTERPRET YOUR DREAMS

Dream interpretation was first started in 1899 by Sigmund Freud, the psychoanalyst and also called as the father of Psychology. 

Now, the following are the steps through which I interpret my own dreams:

• Figure out what type of dream this is. Figure out if it was just an attempt for you to experience something, was it a reminder for you or was it alarming you for something. It is important to do so first, because if it does not serve anything important, there's no point in spending time analyzing the dream. 
• Review the dream. This can be done by writing down the dream, telling it to someone or just mentally replaying what happened. To me, just replaying the dream in my mind helps me get the message.
• Process the message you received from the dream. Dreams can often be pretty helpful. For instance, if you've had a dream where you were in the middle of a storm with your family, sit with it it and think about how would you face this situation if it took place in real life.

IS THERE A WAY TO TREAT NIGHTMARES

Experts suggests, one of the main causes of nightmares could be stress. People with PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) are most likely to experience nightmares. In order to treat nightmares, it is important to focus on the positive elements and avoid dwelling on the disturbing images from the nightmare.