The Sleepy Reason: Why Our Nights Turn into a Nightmare
In difficult times, people try to solve their problems based on mystical symbols. The most popular methods are related to the interpretation of dreams, which supposedly help to find answers to vital questions. Why one should not believe prophetic dreams, how to get rid of painful nightmares and whether the eyes rest in the dark — in the material of Izvestia.
When we dream
Night visions usually occur in the REM sleep phase, but experts believe that they can also appear in the slow phase — short and less emotional. Tatiana Surnenkova, head of the Center for Somnology at the Be Healthy clinic, a doctor of functional diagnostics and somnologist, explains that a person dreams for a total of about two hours per night. Their content is usually related to what is happening in people's lives in reality. According to psychiatrist Alexei Vilkov, in the REM sleep phase, the brain's neurons process the information received during the day. The sleeper remembers the plots if he wakes up at this moment.
Ophthalmologist, ophthalmic surgeon, head of the Department of Ophthalmology at Open Clinic LLC Anna Semakina explained to Izvestia what happens to the eyes when we dream.
— Scientists from the University of Freiburg have discovered a nucleus in the brain that selectively triggers eye movements during REM sleep. It is located in the medulla oblongata and pulls its axons, transmitting nerve impulses, into the nuclei of the oculomotor nerves. Therefore, when we see visual images, the eyeballs move," says the expert.
In the slow phase of sleep, the eyes remain motionless and have time to rest. When the eyelids are closed, metabolic processes improve, and the tear film, a protective layer on the surface of the cornea, is restored.
Blind people also have dreams, but they depend on whether a person was born blind or stopped seeing at a certain age.
— If a person has lost his eyesight, say, after the age of five, he sees visual images in his dreams, but they are determined by the experience he has had. In people who are blind from birth, dreams are based not on a visual image, but on sensations. That is, it's just like in real life," explains Anna Semakina.
Are there prophetic dreams
Psychologist Anna Guseva calls popular interpretations of dreams a reflection of our inner world. Many signs have come from the depths of time.
— We can say that this is our folklore, a generic scenario. Such information has been passed down from generation to generation, recorded in books, and we initially perceive it as a parental prescription and listen to it," explains the doctor.
For example, in many dream books, a dog symbolizes friendship, a fish or a snake — pregnancy, and flight indicates that a person is growing up in a dream. But, according to the psychologist, coincidences happen mainly because similar symbols are already stored in the subconscious.
— Teenagers often have dreams about flying. But adults also see the same stories, and they associate them with a promotion, a new social status (for example, marriage) or the birth of children," says Anna Guseva.
Interpreters also believe that flights symbolize the desire to overcome certain limitations and reach new heights.
— Growth hormone, somatotropin, is usually produced during sleep. But if we are talking about teenagers, then this hormone is released, even if the child does not fly in his sleep. It's just a stereotype that has no direct relation to reality," explains the Izvestia interlocutor.
Anna Guseva believes that the causal relationship between dreams and reality is primarily sought by people with an analytical mindset and creative imagination. Perhaps a person has long predicted a certain event, worked on specific information, and then remembered it or found a clue with the help of a dream. As an example, the expert cites the famous story that Dmitry Mendeleev dreamed of a table of elements.
— But we must exclude the illusion of prophecy. The same Mendeleev did not just dream about the periodic table of elements: he worked on it for a long time. Therefore, we should not expect that mystical thinking will decide something for us, we need to work on our own," says Anna Guseva.
She emphasizes that dreams are not necessarily related only to personal feelings and thoughts. Sometimes they add designs from advertisements that we have seen on TV, plots related to political events, or scenes from films.
Emergency and nightmare
One in three Russians dreams about their work. Moreover, night scenes are often associated with nightmares. Many of us spend most of our time at work, so it's not surprising that dreams about this topic are quite common, says Tatiana Surnenkova. Moreover, in the workplace, some are forced to wear "masks", hide feelings and emotions, and in a dream, certain problems are exposed and worked out.
— Scary dreams should not be taken literally. They help us to become more aware of our worries, fears and limitations, and help us find answers to those uncomfortable questions that we avoid in real life," the expert comments.
The somnologist advises paying attention to two key factors: what we think and say in a dream, as well as what feelings we have after waking up. For example, if in the realm of Morpheus a person feels disappointment, similar to the one he feels when thinking about work in reality, then it's time to change something.
— Nightmares usually reflect a person's mental state, are associated with anxiety, depressive experiences. Most likely, the person experienced severe stress the day before or experienced something bad in the past, which he cannot forget," says Alexey Vilkov.
According to the psychiatrist, scary dreams are sometimes not even related to the current situation, current experiences and reality. They can be absurd, incomprehensible, but at the same time cause negative emotions.
— All this contributes to the fact that a person interprets dreams, looking for something in common between his state and sleep. And in reality he is trying to solve the situation that played out in a dream," the psychiatrist shares.
The somnologist also emphasizes that the causes of nightmares often lie in traumatic life events (loss of a loved one, accident, illness) or constant daily stressful situations. But they can also occur against the background of alcohol intake.
— Alcohol suppresses the phase with rapid eye movements when we dream. As alcohol is metabolized in your body, it leads to dreams that take the form of intense nightmares. The upper respiratory tract relaxes until the breathing is completely blocked. If a person finds it difficult to breathe, they may have a nightmare of being chased, drowned, or suffocated, warns Tatiana Surnenkova.
A late dinner can also be the cause of terrible dreams — the metabolic rate increases, and this increases brain activity. In addition, according to the somnologist, a full stomach causes acid reflux, which also negatively affects the quality of rest.
— Nightmares should not be given importance, because sometimes such dreams are just temporary emotions that our unconscious sends so that we can relive them and no longer be afraid. And it's better to tell the scary story to someone with details: this way you can get away from anxiety, night terrors will gradually disappear," says Anna Guseva.
How much sleep should I get
In order to have a good rest, the expert advises reducing general anxiety, normalizing sleep and wakefulness, not focusing on the analysis of frightening dreams, and engaging in general prevention of emotional and physical condition.
Ophthalmologist Anna Semakina, in turn, recommends ventilating the room before going to bed or falling asleep with the window open, if the weather permits.
— Avoid using gadgets at least one and a half to two hours before bedtime. The blue light from smartphone and tablet screens negatively affects the eyes and does not promote good sleep, the specialist warns.
From the point of view of doctors, it is especially important to avoid stress, then dreams will become positive, and organs will start working properly.
— With increased stress levels, the eyes may not even fully close during sleep. In this case, they will dry out. Some patients are shown moisturizing drops or ointments before bedtime, and the doctor will tell them which ones," comments Anna Semakina.
The ophthalmologist considers 7-8 hours to be the optimal sleep duration. It is undesirable to sleep less, because lack of sleep affects the redox reactions of the eyes and the metabolism of the visual organ, as well as the nervous system. But the individual rate of night rest depends on the load, sometimes a person needs more time.
— It is believed that for the full recovery of the body and the eyes, two days of full sleep are needed, that is, when we wake up on our own, and do not get up on an alarm clock, — the expert concludes.
Adults should sleep in a dark room, without additional lighting, and the doctor advises leaving dim nightlights for children, and only if they are afraid of the dark.
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