Sleeping And Dreaming

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Introduction Our bodies go through changes while we sleep. I'll introduce four stages of sleep, five common beliefs and two common theories about dreaming. Four Stages of Sleep Stage 1 sleep EEG is a low voltage, high-frequency signal that is similar to, but slower than, that of active wakefulness. Stage 2 sleep EEG has a slightly higher amplitude and lower frequency than stage 1 EEG. Stage 3 sleep EEG is defined by occasional presence of delta waves—largest and slowest EEG waves. Stage 4 sleep EEG is defined by a predominance of delta waves (Pinel, 2009). Five Common Beliefs About Dreaming According to Pinel (2009), external stimuli can become incorporated into dreams. Dreams last only an instant, but research suggests that dreams run on “real time.” Some people claim that they do not dream. Penile erections are commonly assumed to be indicative of dreams with sexual content. Sleeptalking and sleepwalking occur only during dreaming. Two Common Theories About Dreams Dreams occur while we are in REM sleep. According to Pinel (2009), REM sleep is the physiological correlate of dreaming. Freudian theory states dreams are triggered by unacceptable repressed wishes, often of a sexual nature. Dreams we experience are merely disguised versions of our real dreams. Hobson’s activation-synthesis theory states that the information supplied to the cortex during REM sleep is largely random and the resulting dream is the cortex’s effort to make sense of these random signals (Pinel 2009). Conclusion I agree with the activation-synthesis theory. I do not believe dreams are triggered by unacceptable repressed wishes of a sexual nature. I think dreams are mostly random. After the first cycle of sleep EEG—from initial stage 1 to stage 4 and back to emergent stage 1—the rest of the night is spent going back and forth through the stages (Pinel,

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