Ever since ancient times, human beings have associated
dreams with messages from the gods, while the contemporary scientific community
has linked them to their psychological and neurological significance. One such
question that keeps striking everyone is how can a person sleep without
dreaming at all. It can never be answered by a simple yes or no. Learning basic
science associated with sleeping and dreaming will explain this interesting
subject to you.
Understanding the Sleep Cycle
Knowledge of how the sleep cycle works goes a long way
toward understanding if you can sleep without dreams. Sleep is not one distinctive state; it can be divided into several stages of a cycle
through the night. Very broadly, they are distinguished into two types as at
the highest level: NREM and REM.
NREM Sleep:
There are three sub-stages within NREM sleep: N1, N2, and
N3. N1 is the lightest stage of sleep, medium-deep is N2, and N3, also known as
slow-wave sleep or deep sleep, is the most restorative. Less dreaming occurs
during NREM sleep, although it may still occur in its latter part.
REM Sleep:
This stage is related to vivid dreams that can readily be
recalled. This state shows rapid movement in the balls of the eyes, an increase
in the activity of the brain, and muscles are paralyzed for some time. The
body, in general, tends to go into REM sleep many times during the night, with
the duration of each cycle of REM becoming longer than the previous cycle in
the night.
The Role of Dreams in Sleep
Dreaming appears to be a normal process that occurs in the
sleeping brain, especially during rapid eye movement sleep. Frequently, we do
not remember our dreams, but there are obvious indications that nearly everyone
has multiple dreams each night. Dreaming is possible during both rapid eye
movement and non–rapid eye movement sleep, but it also is more common and even
intense during the rapid eye movement sleep stages.
REM dreams:
These are what most people expect colorful, sometimes
bizarre, and often emotional. REM dreams are suspected to have functions
associated with memory consolidation, regulation of emotion, and processing of
experiences.
NREM dreams:
They are mostly less vivid and more thought-like during NREM
sleep. They can include simple ideas or fragments of memory and are less likely
to be remembered upon waking.
Is It Possible to Sleep Without Dreaming?
Since dreams are stage-specific to the sleep-wake cycle, the
concept of totally dreamless sleep becomes intertwined with the manner in which
these stages of sleep play out throughout the night. Here are some situations
where one may perceive sleep to be "dreamless":
Dream Amnesia:
You can dream and not remember it. Many people believe that
they have not dreamed because they do not remember their dreams. However, it is
also appropriate to mention that there are very many other factors that would
affect this likelihood of recall, such as the wake-up time in the sleep cycle.
People who wake up in the middle of NREM sleep can remember fewer dreams compared
to those who awake at either the REM sleep or post-REM sleep.
Fragmentation of REM Sleep:
If your sleep is frequently interrupted during the process
in these cycles, or there may be no REM sleep at all as in the conditions of
sleep apnea and chronic insomnia the probability of many dreams becomes low. It
is, however, highly improbable that you never dream. Very likely, your REM
sleep is cut significantly curbing the number of dreams that can be easily
remembered.
Medications and Substances:
Antidepressants are some of the drugs that can suppress REM
sleep; hence, a person using them may not remember many dreams. The termination
of certain substances, such as alcohol, may result in what is known as
"REM rebound." That is, a person will start to have more defined
dreams as the body tries to catch up with the REM sleep periods that have been
missed.
Rare sleeping disorders:
In the very rarest of cases, some people could be suffering
from a sleep disorder that dramatically affects their sleep, generally leaving
a person with no REM sleep at all. Such are very rare conditions, and a total
lack of REM sleep causes huge effects on health, in view of the role REM plays
in regard to mental and emotional well-being.
Dorminant Deep Sleep:
Some individuals can sleep in a cycle dominated by deep
sleep, mostly after sleep deprivation. In such a scenario, REM sleep is
suppressed where the individual does not remember his dreams.
The Importance of Dreaming
It is believed that REM sleep, during which vivid dreaming
mostly occurs, is prominent in consolidating memories and processing
information from the day. Probably, dreams serve to order and to put in a
framework new experiences with earlier memories.
Emotional Regulation:
It is also important to know dreaming takes place during
sleep to understand the way our brain processes emotions mainly provoking,
stressful, or even traumatic events—which, by doing so, reduce emotional
distress and contribute to mental health.
Cognitive Function:
Dreaming and the rate at which REM sleep occurs are related
to better cognitive function, a process under which lies problem-solving and
idea creation. Some theories even say that through the scenarios of dreams, the
brain is able to test out these solutions.
Stress Relief:
When people have worries and conflicts that they avoid
during the day, their brain can express these things while they are asleep and
create an imaginary situation in the process. This is simply acting as a
psychological outlet that reduces the anxiety felt when awake.
Conclusion
Although theoretically, you could be sound asleep without realizing one is dreaming, it is next to impossible that one is not dreaming at all. Most of the time, what people perceive as dreamless sleep is a matter of failing to remember their dreams. Dreams, moreover REM sleep dreams, are quite important for mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
If you do wake up with the impression that you wouldn't have
dreamed, among other sleep disturbances, it may be helpful to consult a healthcare provider to learn what makes up a healthy sleep pattern. Not
dreaming is the sign of healthy and successful sleep, and the best sleep
environments can help make it possible for a person to fully benefit from the
restorative power of sleep as well as restful dreaming.
Please book an appointment with the best Psychologist in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, and all major cities of Pakistan through InstaCare, or call our helpline at 03171777509 to find the verified doctor for your disease.
