t believe that this is because that REM sleep plays a part inthe learning process and is more important for the younger sleepers(Ackroyd). Eventhough REM sleep has gotten all of the attention when it comes to research, it must be remebered that we do not just dream in the REM stage. NREM are the dreamsthat are usually more logical and are more likely to mirror our recent life experiences. Hypnagogic dreams are the dreams that happen just before sleep starts. It often happensin the twilight between consciousness and the unconscious. These dreams are not ascomplex as REM dreams and are more verbal as opposed to the visual REM dream. These dreams seem dull in comparison to the REM dream. These dreams are very similarto sensory deprivation, meditation, and psychedelic drug use.Tranquilizers decrease dream time and many times cause distortions. Barbituratesmake dreams more thought like. LSD increases dream time and nicotine withdrawal alsoincreases dream time. The dreams of people that have just quit smoking are more intensethan a dream of a normal person. Dreaming is a necessary physiological function. When people are prevented fromdreaming they become anxious, fatigued, irritable, and have difficulty concentrating andremembering. If they are deprived of sleep and dreams long enough they begin to dreamwhile they are awake. When these people are allowed to sleep the mind compensates forthe time it has lost. This has been found through the many experiments that deal withdream deprivation and sleep deprivation.During REM sleep there are very high levels of hormones in the body than at mostother times. Some scientists believe that REM helps to maintain the proper balance ofhormones in the body. It is also suggested that since there are some neurons that aredormant during REM, which suggests that that period of time is used for restoration andreplenishing them. It is also possible that very traumatic dreams are used by the body a...
