Sleep and Dreams - Essay Example

Two major theories have been put forward about the biological basis of sleep. They are Repair/Restoration Theory: This theory claims that daily human activities have a depleting effect on the body and sleep is necessary in order for the body to repair and restore itself. The scientific proof for this theory comes from research conducted about the release of growth hormones during sleep which proved that during level 4 sleep a growth hormone is released inside the body which control functions such as metabolism, physical growth, and brain development (Huffman, 2008)2.

Evolutionary Theory: This theory claims that sleep occurs due to basic circadian rhythms. In the earlier stages of human evolution, man needed sleep at night in order to protect him from predators and to conserve energy to find food and shelter during the day. (Huffman, 2008)Both these theories carry scientific weight. It may be that sleep initially developed as a way to conserve energy and protect humans from predators but with the passage of time evolved to allow for repair and restoration as well.

(Huffman, 2008)As far as the biological basis of dreams is concerned the theory about it is called the activation-synthesis hypothesis and it claims that dreams are a by-product of random stimulation of the brain during REM (Random Eye Movement) sleep. It should be noted here that although most dreams occur during REM sleep, some occur during NREM sleep as well. Another theory about dreams is called the housekeeping theory and it claims that dreams help us sift and sort out our everyday experiences and thoughts.

This theory helps explain why dreams are important for our psychological well being. (Huffman, 2008)Freud’s believed that dreams are “the royal road to the unconscious”. His theory about dreams states that dreams serve a purpose of wish fulfillment i.e. they serve to bring to surface the repressed and personally unacceptable desires of the human unconscious in the form of symbols. A gun may, for example, represent a penis etc. Freud believed that the human brain disguises forbidden thoughts as symbols and interpreting them correctly may lead to the cure of mental illnesses.

His theory has however been criticized widely and little or no scientific evidence has been found in support. Even Freud once said about his beloved cigars that: “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar”. (Huffman, 2008)Although Freud’s theory is not accepted in its current form by modern scientists, they have however, discovered that many of the aspects of dreaming Freud talked about in his theory were accurate. For example: Freud’s claim that dreams inter-splice long-term memories (childhood urges) with short-term memory (day residue) has been certified by many modern neuroscientists.

Another of his claims that “dreams are often pointedly embarrassing and hint at tabooed material close to the dreamer’s heart, rather than reflecting random nonsense” has also been proven accurate by modern research. (Hurd, 2009)I therefore feel that although the psychoanalysis theory, in its original form, is not fit for use in dealing with mental illnesses, it can be utilized with caution in order to better understand the illness in some cases.Works CitedHuffman, K. (2008). Psychology in Action.

Wiley Education.Hurd, R. (2009, November 19). Contemporary Dream Theories Starting With Freud. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from Dream Studies: http://dreamstudies.org/2009/11/19/freudian-dream-theory-explained/