The biological basis of sleep is for recuperation of our body and minds. Sleep is a time for resetting and rejuvenating our biological clocks. There are many theories as to why we need sleep. Some examples are: aiding us in maintaining our mental functions such as memory and problem-solving; restoring our energy supplies; and repairing damaged brain cells and building new neurons in the brain (Zimbardo, Johnson, & McCann, 2009, p. 348). Furthermore, lack of sleep or interruption in sleep can affect us mentally and physically. Sleep deprivation can cause serious negative effect on our bodies, both mentally and physically. So, as we all know, sleep is a necessary function and a natural part of our biological cycle.
While we sleep, our brains continually go through two different phases of sleep, rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM). Our dreams normally take place during the REM cycles of sleep. Dreams are important to our psychological well-being because they help us process the things that happen to us in our daily lives and allow us to just “let go” of the previous day. Experiments show the importance of dreams and demonstrate, when in deep sleep (REM), the mind is allowed to rest. Scientists say the unconscious mind works during sleep, allowing the person to resolve problems affecting them during the day (Nicholls, 2011). While there is no agreement on the meaning of dreams, or if dreams have any meaning at all, there is a consensus that we do, in fact, need to dream in order to properly function in our everyday lives.
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) believed that dreams help relieve psychic tensions created throughout the day. Furthermore, he believed dreams allow a person to harmlessly work through unconscious desires. In Freud’s view, “dreams represent ‘the royal road to the unconscious’, paved with clues to an individual’s hidden mental life” (Zimbardo et al., 2009, p. 351). He thought if he could find the turmoil in an individual’s unconscious...