The Architecture of Sleep and the Function of Dreams
As you complete this exercise, consider the following:
- Have you ever been able to remember more than one dream in one night?
- Have you tried to figure out the meaning of your dreams or ever wondered about possible symbolism in dreams?
By the end of this activity, you will be able to:
- define and provide examples of biological rhythms, including the sleep cycle
- compare and contrast theories of the nature and functions of dreams
- describe and locate the complex functions of the cerebral cortex
Complete the following:
Please write a two – three page essay covering the following topics:
- Describe how sleep changes during the course of one night?
- Describe these changes related to changes in the electrical activity of the brain.
- When do you dream during the sleep cycle?
- Are there differences in the types of dreams that occur at different times?
- What functions did Freud attribute to dreams?
- What functions do researchers think dreams serve today?
Your essay should be a minimum of 500 words (two-three pages) and should completely address each question. Cite at least two references including the text to support your response. Although APA Style is not required for this essay your writing should be clear and concise. Please submit via the assignment drop box as a WORD attachment.
Answer preview
Sleep is an important activity to an individual’s physical and mental wellbeing. Unlike what most people believe, sleep is not a waste of time but a crucial opportunity for rejuvenation. During the night, sleep changes in its intensity. A night’s rest begins with a light sleep where the individual loses consciousness of time and place and if woken up, they would probably not know they were sleeping it is commonly known as the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) stage. Approximately seventy-five percent of the sleeping time is spent in NREM stage (Hunt, 2017). It progresses into approximately thirty minutes of a deeper sleep where breathing and mental activity slows down still in the NREM…
(650 words)