Dreams are mental imagery that occur during sleep, based on emotions, experiences, places, and people encountered in waking life. These experiences are often organized into bizarre scenarios and are frequently related to recent emotions or experiences, though they may be modified or misinterpreted.
Dreams can occur in different stages of sleep: REM Sleep and Non-REM Sleep.
REM Sleep usually begins about 90 minutes after falling asleep. During this stage, the eyes move rapidly, brain activity increases, vivid dreams occur, and the body is temporarily paralyzed except for eye movements and breathing.
Non-REM Sleep makes up about 75–80% of total sleep in adults. This stage is responsible for body repair and recovery. Dreams during NREM sleep are less vivid and less story-like.
Do dreams have meaning? There is no universal interpretation, but they may symbolize aspects of who you are.
Despite advances in understanding sleep stages, dreams remain a mystery. Their precise function in memory, emotion processing, or creative thought is still actively researched.
