Analyzing Your Dreams - The Four Stages of Sleep
When attempting to analyze and interpret your dreams, it is
important to know that every human being, of every age, and from
every part of the world, dreams anywhere from four to seven
times each and every night. There is even evidence that babies
experience dream sleep while still in their mother's womb. What
they dream about, of course, is a mystery. What animals dream
about is a mystery as well, but most mammals dream as well. The
sleep cycle is divided into four distinct stages, and every
person cycles through all four stages each and every night.
Every cycle contains a stage of dream sleep, and every person
experiences a number of distinct dream stages, and a number of
distinct dreams every night. Typically the only dreams that are
recalled, if any are recalled at all, are those dreams that take
place closest to waking. The closest the dream occurs to waking,
the more likely it is to be remembered. If a dreamer is woken in
the middle of dream sleep, he or she will remember his or her
dream perfectly and vividly in even the tiniest detail. We know
this from years of studies of dreams. You may be surprised to
know that science is still unsure of the exact function of dream
sleep. We do know, however, that dreams are absolutely essential
to our psychological and physical health. Research volunteers
given drugs to disrupt dream sleep experienced all manner of
psychological problems, including problems concentrating,
irritability and even waking hallucinations. Let's explore the
four stages of sleep, including dream sleep, in greater detail.
Stage 1: The first stage of sleep is a very light one, and it is
very easy to be awoken or disturbed during this stage. Stage one
of sleep usually lasts for only a few minutes, and the sleeper
quickly moves on to stage two.
Stage 2: Stage two is a much deeper level of sleep than stage
one. It is in stage two of sleep that dreams begin to form. At
this point in the dream cycle, there are usually no clear
images. Dreams at this stage mostly consist of vague ideas and
thoughts drifting through the dreamer's mind. The sleeper will
continue and enter stage three.
Stage 3: Stage three is a still deeper sleep. In stage three of
the sleep cycle the sleeper's muscles have all relaxed, and his
or her heart rate and respiration have both slowed down. The
sleeper's blood pressure also falls during this stage of sleep,
and the breathing is even and steady. During this deep stage of
sleep, the sleeper would be very difficult to awaken. Typically
the sleeper can only be awakened by a very loud noise or the
shout of his or her name. After a time, the sleeper will enter
the final stage of sleep.
Stage 4: Stage four of sleep, also known as REM, or rapid eye
movement sleep, is the deepest stage of sleep, and the one in
which the most dreams occur. During this stage of sleep it is
very difficult indeed to wake the sleeper. During REM sleep, the
blood pressure and heart rate will fluctuate, and the sleeper's
brain will light up. Studies of dreaming patients have shown
that more brain activity occurs when we are dreaming than when
we are awake.
It is the rapid movements of the eyes under their closed lids
that give REM sleep its name, and these eye movements are the
distinguishing characteristic of dream sleep, and proof that
dreams are occurring. Most REM sleep lasts only for about 10
minutes. After that time, the sleeper returns to the deep sleep
that characterizes stage four of the sleep cycle. The sleeper
will return after a time to a period of REM sleep, then cycle
back into stage four. This process is usually repeated from four
to seven times a night.