Dreams: Why do we have them and what do they mean?

Everyone dreams every night, yet 95% of dreams are forgotten before we wake in the morning. The ones that are remembered can be entertaining, fun, adventurous, vivid and often bizarre. Yet there is still much about sleep and dreams that remain a mystery for experts. Even the question of why we dream is one yet to be answered. However there are studies that can help us to understand what triggers intense dreams and the health benefits of dreaming.

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What are dreams?

Whether you remember your dreams or not, everyone dreams anywhere from 3 to 6 times each night. Dreams are a series of images, stories, emotions and feelings that occur throughout the stages of sleep. The dreams that you remember happen during the REM (rapid eye movement) cycle of sleep. REM sleep happens approximately 90-120 minutes after you have fallen asleep and lasts around ten minutes. The brain is very active at this point and is when our more memorable dreams happen. Dreams can occur as a way for us to play out events and process things that have happened during the day.

Do dreams affect our sleep quality? 

Sleep helps your brain absorb new information and consolidating memories. If you experience vivid dreams immediately after you have fallen asleep, it could be a sign of a sleep condition called narcolepsy. 

Nightmares can make it more difficult to fall asleep and cause difficulty in moving between sleep cycles. Research shows that those who have negative dreams also have higher rates of stress during the day and are more likely to have sleep disorders. Likewise, those who have positive dreams are less likely to have sleep disorders.

When someone is sleep deprived there is a greater sleep intensity, meaning greater brain activity during sleep; dreaming is definitely increased and likely more vivid. Less Sleep = more dreams.

What are the health benefits of dreams?

Some studies suggest dreaming can help the brain with its memory function. Dreaming can also help with cognition and your ability to process events.

However why we dream is still a common topic of debate among experts. Considerable evidence points to dreams playing a role in facilitating brain functions like memory and emotional processing. Dreams appear to be an important part of normal, healthy sleep. At the same time though, nightmares can disrupt sleep and even affect a person during their waking hours.

How can you stop bad dreams and nightmares?

• Behavioral therapy and/or medications

• Improving habits and sleep hygiene can help reduce bad dreams. 

  • Practice relaxation techniques to minimize stress and anxiety, both of which can provoke nightmares.

  • Give yourself time to wind down before bed in a calm and comforting bedroom environment.

  • Avoid screen time for an hour or more before bed, and make sure not to watch scary or bothersome content at night

  • Avoid drinking alcohol, which affects your REM sleep, in the evening and especially before bed

  • Keep a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends, to avoid sleep deprivation, which can spur more REM sleep and intense dreaming.

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How Sleep Effects our Hormones

We all live according to our circadian rhythm, a near 24-hour internal clock that controls how our body’s functions change throughout the day. Your cognition, metabolism, sleep-wake cycle, and many other functions all follow a circadian rhythm. The master clock in your hypothalamus keeps track of time by queues such as light and darkness, physical activity, and mealtime schedule. The rest of your body is synchronized with the master clock in your hypothalamus through neural and hormonal signals, such as adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol, that cycle throughout the day,

Maintaining a consistent circadian rhythm is essential for general health. Inconsistent eating and sleeping patterns can throw off your circadian rhythm and increase your risk of developing a number of diseases. Likewise, not getting enough quality sleep can affect your physical and mental well-being.

Why Do we Get Sleepy?

Throughout the day, sunlight stops your pineal gland from producing melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone. Another sleep-causing chemical called adenosine increases during the day in parts of the brain that control wakefulness. As it gets dark, melatonin levels go up, and enough adenosine accumulates in your brain that you get sleepy. Caffeine can keep you up because it blocks adenosine receptors. During sleep, adenosine levels go back down.

What Happens When We Sleep?

Sleep is divided into 90-minute cycles of rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, which is composed of different stages. These cycles are repeated throughout the night.

Most of our sleep is NREM sleep and is made up of stages N1-N3
Stage N1: This is a stage of light sleep when you are in between being awake and falling asleep.
Stage N2: The onset of sleep. This is when you become disengaged from your surroundings, and your body temperature drops.
Stage N3: The deepest sleep stage. This is when tissue growth and repair happen, and energy is restored. During this stage, several hormones are released that control functions ranging from growth and development to appetite.

UNDERSTANDING REM

During REM sleep, your eyes rapidly move back and forth, hence the name. This stage of sleep is known for having the highest brain activity. This is also when you dream. REM first happens about 90 minutes after falling asleep and reoccurs every 90 minutes. In adults, REM is a relatively short sleep stage that gets longer after every cycle. REM sleep supports daytime function by helping restore energy to the brain and body. Your body becomes immobile and relaxed during REM, possibly to prevent you from acting out your dreams. REM sleep enhances learning and memory and is vital for emotional health.

How Does Sleep Change During the Lifespan?

The amount of sleep you need to function throughout the day changes with age: Newborns (0-3 months of age) Sleep range of 14 to 17 hours Infants (4-11 months of age) Sleep range of 12 to 15 hours Toddlers (1-2 years of age) Sleep range of 11 to 14 hours Pre-schoolers (3-5 years of age) Sleep range of 10 to 13 hours School-aged children (6-13 years of age) Sleep range of 9 to 11 hours Teenagers (14-17 years of age) Sleep range of 8 to 10 hours Young Adults (18-25 years of age) Sleep range of 7 to 9 hours Adults (26-64 years of age)Sleep range of 7 to 9 hours Older Adults (65 years of age and older)

Sleep range of 7 to 8 hours

*Source: National Sleep Foundation

How Does Sleep Affect my Overall Health?

Inadequate sleep has been associated with a variety of health problems. Not getting enough sleep in the short-term leads to fatigue, impaired learning and memory, and irritability. Adequate sleep is necessary for healthy immune function. Consistently depriving yourself of sleep can lower your immune system and make you susceptible to illnesses such as the cold or the flu.

Insufficient sleep over the long term can contribute to severe health conditions. For example, sleep controls your stress hormones and maintains your nervous system healthy. Not enough sleep can affect your body’s ability to regulate stress hormones and lead to high blood pressure. Enough quality sleep is also crucial for maintaining healthy levels of hormones that control appetite and blood glucose levels. Cutting back on sleep can increase your risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes. Inadequate sleep over the long run can contribute to several other conditions such as depression and anxiety, cardiovascular disease, and can lower life expectancy.

Is There a Difference in Sleep Patterns by Gender?

Women have slightly shorter circadian rhythms than men, and on average, go to bed earlier and wake up earlier than men.

Research suggests that women have longer total sleep time, less total wake time, and overall better sleep efficiency than men.

However, women have about a 40% higher risk for insomnia than men.

Research has also shown gonadal hormones cycles affect sleep patterns differently in men and women. For example, hormone fluctuations during a woman’s menstrual cycle and menopause can affect sleep patterns. This can lead to increased insomnia and frequently waking up during the sleep cycle.

What Endocrine Conditions are Related to Disruption in Sleep and Circadian Rhythm?

Studies have shown that lack of sleep can lead to other serious health conditions. Poor sleeping patterns have been associated with hypertension, obesity, glucose intolerance, and insulin resistance. Sleep deprivation has also been linked to hypogonadism (low testosterone) in men. Treatment Options for Sleep Conditions Management and treatment options may vary based on the diagnosis. For certain conditions, such as insomnia or sleep apnea, your doctor may recommend seeking assistance from a sleep specialist so you can receive appropriate treatment. Treating a sleep-related condition may also lower the risk of developing other chronic diseases.

Treatment Options for Sleep Conditions

Management and treatment options may vary based on the diagnosis. For certain conditions, such as insomnia or sleep apnea, your doctor may recommend seeking assistance from a sleep specialist so you can receive appropriate treatment. Treating a sleep-related condition may also lower the risk of developing other chronic diseases.

What Can I do to Improve my Sleep?

• Disrupting your circadian rhythm with irregular sleeping patterns can affect your health in the long run.

• Sleeping in on weekends can make it challenging to maintain a consistent sleep schedule.

• Try to keep a regular sleep schedule throughout the week. Don’t sleep in more than one hour extra on the weekends so that you don’t throw off your sleep schedule.

• Snacking and eating late at night can affect your quality of sleep and can put you at higher risk of developing diabetes and obesity. Avoid eating close to bedtime.

• Light from cell phones and laptops can suppress melatonin and can make it harder to fall asleep.

• Try not to use cell phones and laptops right before bed, and if you do, use the night option that changes screen color and minimizes melatonin-suppressing light.

• Try to avoid caffeine intake after 12:00 noon.

• Practice different sleep habits until you discover what works for you. For example:

  • Try sleeping in an appropriately lit room

  • Avoid noises that may disturb your sleep or use noise environment in your favor, such as a white noise device.

  • Make sure your bed is used primarily for sleep and avoid working or eating in your bed.

Research what may be causing your sleep disturbances and address them. For example, are pain or frequent trips to the bathroom interrupting your sleep?

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

• Does insomnia increase my chances of heart disease?

• Does loss of sleep affect glucose or cortisol levels?

• How many hours of sleep are enough for me?

• Is sleep associated with worsening my menopause-related symptoms, such as depression?

• Is my menstrual cycle or menopause affecting my sleep?

• Does sleep affect my testosterone levels?

EDITOR(S): Ramon Martinez, M.D., Daniel Ruiz, PHD

LAST UPDATED: June 2019

Citation information
Hormone Health Network."Sleep and Circadian Rhythm | Endocrine Society." Hormone.org, Endocrine Society, 31 May 2020, https://www.hormone.org/your-health-and-hormones/sleep-and-circadian-rhythm

6 Key Habits for Optimum Hormonal Balance

Hormones are powerful chemical messengers and have an effect on many different systems within the body, no matter whether we are male or female, we have over 50 different hormones produced by a variety of glands in the brain and the body. These messengers influence many of our main bodily functions, from our most basic needs like hunger to more intricate systems like reproduction or digestion.  Not to mention its effects on our mood and energy which are essential in making you feel good!

Here are 6 key suggestions that promote hormone balance:

Sleep

Sleep is essential for balancing cortisol (our stress hormone), both quantity and quality are important!  Don’t skimp on sleep - aim for about 8 hours each night and consider going to bed and waking at the same time. Melatonin is our sleep hormone, to start making this important hormone we need darkness - avoid bright lights, especially stimulating screens like your mobile or laptop. By turning down the lights, and relaxing the mind and body we can boost its production! If you are really stressed, cortisol is unable to decrease which slows down your melatonin production and release. Find an evening ritual that works for you like: slow deep breathing, yoga or meditation, and make sure that both your home environment and your thoughts are peaceful. If you are prone to a chattering mind especially at bedtime or through the night, try a sleep tea before you hit the hay.

De-stress

Dehydration, short shallow breathing, lack of nutrients, imbalanced blood sugars, lack of sleep amongst many others create stress and inflammation. Eating whole nutrient dense foods provides the body with building blocks it requires to combat some if these factors, however in order to break down nutrients effectively the body needs to be in the parasympathetic nervous system (Your Rest & Digest system). Allowing “me” time in each day, like walking, meditation, yoga, journaling, listening to relaxing music all help to de-stress which can ease the body back into the Rest & Digest system.

Reduce External Stress

We have a variety of environmental factors that can increase stress. Especially toxins from sprays, make-up and deodorants. And also xeno-estrogens from plastics – like when we reuse plastic bottles, plastic drink bottles and opt for natural deodorants and personal care products as much as possible.

Blood Sugar Balance

Stable blood sugars are essential for optimum hormone function. To keep blood sugars balanced: eat regular meals, at similar times - having breakfast, lunch and dinner daily is a great start, make sure you include protein at every meal and have fibre daily. Also aim to have plenty of folate – at least 3 servings of dark leafy greens (which comes from foliage – leaves).

Keep your protein up

Aim for at least 1 gram of protein per kg of body weight: i.e. if you weigh 55kgs aim for 55grams of protein. Consider adding these protein options into your diet: nuts, seeds, eggs, meat, fermented organic soy products such as tofu and tempeh, protein powders - such as Pea Protein. Protein assists with blood sugar balance and gives the body building blocks to assist with repair.

Fibre

Your intake should be at least 30 grams per day! Fibre is particularly important for assisting detoxification pathways including those of hormones. Try this for size: aim to eat 6 palm size servings of vegetables each day. Add raw activated nuts and seeds, some good options are: such as almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews; seeds such as chia, psyllium husks, pumpkin, sunflower seeds.  

Written by Selina Singh ND

Yoga Nidra ~ Yogic Sleep

At this time of year, it can feel as though everything is speeding up as we race towards the finish line of the end of the year. With work commitments to be completed, increasing social engagements, pressures of Christmas (both financial and social), feelings of overwhelm can increase and we can be left feeling a little less than sparkly.

With so much to do as the holiday season approaches, it may not seem like the best time to be talking to you about the importance of rest! And yet, it is precisely when we feel like we couldn’t possibly spare a single minute to indulge in something time-wasting as rest, that we need it the most. You cannot serve from an empty cup, after all, and when we continuously go go go, without taking the appropriate time to rest, we are mentally and physically exhausting ourselves.

At Golden Yogi, we offer the ultimate relaxation experience - a deeply restful and healing practice called Yoga Nidra (which means ‘Yogic Sleep’). Yoga Nidra is an incredibly effective form of rest for both body and mind – it encourages deep physical release and relaxation in the body and it quietens the busyness of the mind.

To practice yoga Nidra, you lie on the floor in Savasana. There, you’ll be guided to sense the body and breathe in specific ways to incite a relaxation response in you. This relaxation response is the secret sauce to Yoga Nidra because it balances the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems allowing you to unwind into various, beneficial brainwave states, where our bodies restore and heal themselves naturally.

Science experts agree that an hour of Yoga Nidra practice is the equivalent of 3 hours of deep sleep. You will leave the practice feeling well-rested, refreshed and recharged. Feeling more present and with more energy for your children, partner, colleagues and with greater clarity of mind to perform at work and to get through the day without being exhausted by it all. It’s like having the best nap of your life without actually going to sleep!

Yoga Nidra will be offered on the 2019 Timetable on Sunday’s at 4.30pm in the Yin Yoga + Yoga Nidra class (90 minute class) and 6 Week Yoga Nidra Courses throughout the year.

Written by: Jo Eng

6 Key Habits for Optimum Hormonal Balance

Hormones are powerful chemical messengers and have an effect on many different systems within the body, no matter whether we are male or female, we have over 50 different hormones produced by a variety of glands in the brain and the body. These messengers influence many of our main bodily functions, from our most basic needs like hunger to more intricate systems like reproduction or digestion.  Not to mention its effects on our mood and energy which are essential in making you feel good!

Here are 6 key suggestions that promote hormone balance:

Sleep

Sleep is essential for balancing cortisol (our stress hormone), both quantity and quality are important!  Don’t skimp on sleep - aim for about 8 hours each night and consider going to bed and waking at the same time. Melatonin is our sleep hormone, to start making this important hormone we need darkness - avoid bright lights, especially stimulating screens like your mobile or laptop. By turning down the lights, and relaxing the mind and body we can boost its production! If you are really stressed, cortisol is unable to decrease which slows down your melatonin production and release. Find an evening ritual that works for you like: slow deep breathing, yoga or meditation, and make sure that both your home environment and your thoughts are peaceful. If you are prone to a chattering mind especially at bedtime or through the night, try a sleep tea before you hit the hay.

De-stress

Dehydration, short shallow breathing, lack of nutrients, imbalanced blood sugars, lack of sleep amongst many others create stress and inflammation. Eating whole nutrient dense foods provides the body with building blocks it requires to combat some if these factors, however in order to break down nutrients effectively the body needs to be in the parasympathetic nervous system (Your Rest & Digest system). Allowing “me” time in each day, like walking, meditation, yoga, journaling, listening to relaxing music all help to de-stress which can ease the body back into the Rest & Digest system.

Reduce External Stress

We have a variety of environmental factors that can increase stress. Especially toxins from sprays, make-up and deodorants. And also xeno-estrogens from plastics – like when we reuse plastic bottles, plastic drink bottles and opt for natural deodorants and personal care products as much as possible.

Blood Sugar Balance

Stable blood sugars are essential for optimum hormone function. To keep blood sugars balanced: eat regular meals, at similar times - having breakfast, lunch and dinner daily is a great start, make sure you include protein at every meal and have fibre daily. Also aim to have plenty of folate – at least 3 servings of dark leafy greens (which comes from foliage – leaves).

Keep your protein up

Aim for at least 1 gram of protein per kg of body weight: i.e. if you weigh 55kgs aim for 55grams of protein. Consider adding these protein options into your diet: nuts, seeds, eggs, meat, fermented organic soy products such as tofu and tempeh, protein powders - such as Pea Protein. Protein assists with blood sugar balance and gives the body building blocks to assist with repair.

Fibre

Your intake should be at least 30 grams per day! Fibre is particularly important for assisting detoxification pathways including those of hormones. Try this for size: aim to eat 6 palm size servings of vegetables each day. Add raw activated nuts and seeds, some good options are: such as almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews; seeds such as chia, psyllium husks, pumpkin, sunflower seeds.  

Written by Selina Singh ND