Sleep And Dream: Lucid Dreaming

spokane community college Theory Paper Sleep and Dream
Professor Spurgeon
Trinh Dang
3/18/2014

Sleep and Dream
When we sleep, we go through five sleep stages. The first stage is a very light sleep from which it is easy to wake up. The second stage moves into a slightly deeper sleep, and stages three and four represent our deepest sleep. Our brain activity throughout these stages is gradually slowing down so that by deep sleep. About 90 minutes after we go to sleep and after the fourth sleep stage, we begin REM sleep. REM sleep is primarily characterized by movements of the eyes and is the fifth stage of sleep. During REM sleep, several physiological changes also take place. The heart rate and breathing quickens, the blood
pressure rises. REM sleep is the sleep stage at which most dreaming takes place. I often fall as sleep well, and I also often dream several times at night, and I can remember some of it. Once, I was dreaming about playing kickball, I kept kicking the ball every time my friend threw it for me. I slept by my mom, so she was get kicked. Then, she decided to let me sleep alone. The four stages outside of REM sleep are called non-REM sleep (NREM). Stage one is called polysomnography (sleep readings). The eyes are closed during this stage. People can be awakened without difficulty. At stage two, the heart rate slows and the body temperature decreases. At this point, the body prepares to enter deep sleep. At stage three and four, people in the deep sleep stages. Throughout the night, we go through these five stages several times. Each subsequent cycle, however, includes more REM sleep and less deep sleep (stage three and four). By morning, we 're having almost all stage one, two and five (REM) sleep.
Insomnia is the recurring problems in falling or staying asleep. Insomnia could last for a longtime or in some people insomnia could even become the permanent sleep pattern and not being able to sleep. People have insomnia mostly are the people often raising thought or excessive worrying when they lay down. People who have trouble sleeping rarely see their problem as an illness that requires treatment, or as an acceptable reason to call in sick. “Researchers surveyed 7,428 employed people across the U.S. and found that 23% experienced some form of insomnia -- such as difficulty falling asleep or nighttime waking -- at least three times a week during the previous month, for at least 30 minutes at a stretch (MacMillian, Amanda, Health.com).” There are about 10-20% of people that suffer from insomnia in the United States. But the survey that has been conducted in the beginning of this century reported even worse statistics on sleeplessness in the United States “only 35% of Americans slept eight hours or more per night during the work week. About 56% had one or more symptoms of insomnia a few nights a week or more. Approximately 60% children, especially teenagers, reported of being tired during the day (Insomnia Statistics).” Symptoms related to insomnia are common among individuals that work night shifts or rotating shifts. Night shift work, while some people prefer it, is an unnatural human cycle. Studies have shown that this type of work over the long-term or in cycles can significantly disrupt your natural circadian cycle. Interruptions in the Circadian cycle affects the physiological balance of your body and can vastly shift sleep patterns and inspire symptoms of insomnia and/or sleep deprivation. Older people are also prone to depression, anxiety, and grief that cause sleeplessness. Insomnia is more common among people over the age of 65 than in those aged 18 to 34 and my uncle is an example. My uncle is sixty-nine years old this year. He works in Kimball Office Furniture Company. He works from 2 pm to 11 pm, but sometimes he works overtime until 2 am. He also has heartburn disease, thus he often has trouble in getting sleep. He said although he feels so tired but he still cannot get into sleep. He turns right, turns left, doing meditation, taking medicine, wake up and do other things such as reading book, doing house chore, but he also cannot sleep. In recent years, I can see my uncle get much older because of sleep disorder, and I really worry for him. My dad often advises my uncle to quit the job and take a rest, but he still thinking about that.
Psychologists believe sleep may have evolved for five reasons. Sleeps protects us. Animals with the most need to graze and the least ability to hide tend to sleep less. Sleep helps us to recuperate. It helps restore and repair brain tissue. In a study in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers sought to discover how sleep affects the production of oligodendrocytes – the cells responsible for creating myelin in the brain. Produced in both healthy brains and in response to injury, myelin acts as insulation for both the brain and spinal cord, allowing the brain’s electrical impulses to move from cell to cell. Sleep also helps restore and rebuild our fading memories of the day’s experiences. Sleep feeds creative thinking and supports growth. During deep sleep, the pituitary gland releases a growth hormone. This hormone is necessary for muscle development. Researchers studied two groups of mice – one group allowed to sleep normally and another deprived of sleep – comparing their gene activation related to myelin production. The team discovered that genes allowing for myelin formation were turned on during sleep, while genes linked to cell death and stress were activated when animals were sleep deprived, according to Science Daily. During sleep, our brain 's memory centers are busy consolidating recall for more effective memory when we 're awake. Sleeping well is an important way to improve your memory ability and may lower risk for cognitive decline. I love the way I feel after a good night 's sleep. My body is rested; my mind feels clear and alert; and I am happy to just linger in bed and relax. About 30 percent of adults suffer from insomnia. The following are a few strategies to consider if you 're having trouble falling or staying asleep through the night.
Dream is a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind. The phenomenon not only occurs in human but also in mammals and some birds. Dreams are vivid, sensorimotor hallucinations with a narrative structure. We experience them consciously as seeing, hearing and touching within environments that appear completely real, but the difference is we do not smell in our dreams. Dream consciousness is not the same as wakeful consciousness. Develop or improve your existing sleep regimen. Set a regular time to go to bed, regardless of whatever else is occupying your time. Learn to plan everything else around the bedtime you set yourself. Often small things can disrupt or prevent sleep quite easily.
Lucid dreaming is when you are dreaming, you know you are dreaming, and some case you can manipulate the dream and some case you cannot.
Sometimes you are in the nightmare, you know you are dreaming, you want to wake up but you cannot move and wake up by yourself. According to Stephen Laberge, a psychophysiologist, the founder of the Lucidity Institute that people get attracted to lucid dreaming because they want to be able to do things they could never do in waking reality, for example, taste fire or fly to the sun. More and more experienced lucid dreamers are realizing the benefits of lucid dreaming. You can use it to explore the boundaries of your own agency and the limits of the universe. I really love chocolate cake. I often wish to taste some truly delicious chocolate cake at least one time in my life. One day, in my dream, I saw I step in a luxury beautiful room, and there were a table in the center of the room. On that table, there are many smoothest, richest, creamiest chocolate cakes in the world. I ran to it and took one bite; however, when the cake was nearly to my mouth, I suddenly heard the voice of my mom calling me, then I woke up and I saw no chocolate. I knew that I just had a sweet dream unless the end. In lucid dreams, we focus is expanded somewhat compared to normal dreams, but in my experience it is still very different from real life. Sometimes, in the dream, I saw my grandparents in the US, I saw my grandfather was watching news at his favorite chair while my grandmother is cooking my favorite food. My grandmother also said “Welcome home, I just made your favorite food, wash your hands and have a meal.” There was nothing happier than seeing my grandparents and hear their voice. However, in that dream, I wondered that there were strange things that in fact, my grandparents died and they had never come to the US. Then, I woke up and I knew that I see my grandparents in dream because I really miss them. Until now, I sometimes see my
grandparents. However, there were many lucid dreams that I cannot remember. Therefore, I learn and practice how to recall a dream. Here is some advises that we can learn and apply before go to bed. Getting enough sleep at night is essential to improving your ability to recall your dreams. As long as you’re well rested, you’ll find it easier to focus your intent on recalling your dreams. Also, if you’re able to get plenty of sleep during the night it 'll be easier to wake up repeatedly to record your dreams. To be able to eventually control your dreams you’re going to have to focus your intent on doing so. When you wake up, try to make it a habit to think back on your dreams. If you wake up and immediately start thinking about the day ahead, the memories of your dreams will often be gone forever by the time you think to try remembering them. For most lucid dreamers, keeping a dream journal is the best and easiest way to help recall. No matter how clear your dreams may seem upon waking during the night, you’ll have almost completely forgotten the previous ones when you again wake in the morning. A dream journal is the most common way of recording one 's dreams. A dream journal is simply a writing pad that should be kept within reach of your bed. Sometimes the memory can be jogged when you assume the same physical position you had while dreaming. Try to put your head in the same place on the pillow, arrange your body the same way, and close your eyes. If the dream comes into your head, think it through before getting up to write it down. Remembering your dreams takes effort and practice. The more you become conscious of your dreams, the more likely you are to remember them. Get into the habit of committing to remembering your dreams and night and writing them down first thing when you wake up. The process will become easier over time.

Works Cited
1. LaBerge, Stephen. Lucid Dreaming. Psychophysiological Studies of Consciousness during REM Sleep. www.lucidity.com/SleepAndCognition.html.web
2. MacMillian, Amanda.7:19 AM EDT, Thu September 1, 2011. Health.com
3. www.insomnia911.com/insomnia-facts/statistics.htm.web
4. Dream Recall Techniques:Remember more Dreams. www.dreams.ca/recall.htm