Many theories exist to explainwhy we dream, but researchers still don’t know for sure.

Some believe dreams have symbolic meaning, whereas others believe that they relate to waking life.

Most of those dreams are forgotten within minutes of waking.

Most people dream in color, but some dream in black and white.

We Dream Every Night

The brain is active all night long.

Adults and babies alike dream for around two hours per night, even if theydon’t remember it.

During a typical lifetime, people spend an average of six years dreaming.

Participants with higher white matter density were more likely to recall their dreams.

People younger than 25 rarely report dreaming in black and white.

Men and Women Dream Differently

Researchers have also found differences between men and women in dream content.

Women tend to have slightly longer dreams with more characters.

Women also report having more nightmares than men.

Animals might not experience dreams in the same way as humans, however.

In other words, they might not remember images or attach a storyline to them.

Several factors affect the emotional content of dreams, including anxiety, stress, and certain medications.

The most common emotion experienced in dreams is anxiety.

Generally, negative emotions are much more common than positive ones.

You’re Paralyzed While Dreaming

REM sleep is characterized by paralysis of the voluntary muscles.

This phenomenon is known as REM atonia and prevents you from acting out your dreams while you’re asleep.

Basically, because motor neurons are not stimulated, your body does not move.

For example, people from all over the world frequentlydream about being chased, being attacked, or falling.

Takeaways

Dreams can range from the fascinating to the anxiety-provoking to the just plain weird.

You might wake up scratching your head and wondering “Why did I dream about that?

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