Sleeping and Dreaming

By: Tammy Poe

Axia University of Phoenix
May 24, 2010









The Four stages of sleep are; Stage 1; alpha waves (NREM): drifting off. Stage 2; K complex
and Sleep spindle (NREM): the intermediate stage. Stage 3 & 4; delta waves or slow-wave sleep
(SWS): the deepest sleep. We dream while we are in the REM stage or rapid eye movement.
The five common beliefs about dreaming are: 1. People believe that external stimuli can
become incorporated into their dreams. 2. Some people believe that dreams last only an instant.
3. Some people claim that they do not dream. 4. Penile erections are commonly assumed to be
indicative of dreams with sexual content. 5. Most people believe that sleep talking and
somnambulism (sleepwalking) occur during dreams.
The two common theories about dreams are Freuds theory that dreams are triggered by
unacceptable repressed wishes, often of a sexual nature (manifest dreams). Manifest dreams are
merely disguised versions of our real dreams (latent dreams). Hobsons (1989) activation-
synthesis theory is the information supplies to the cortex during REM sleep. Largely random and
the resulting dream is the cortexs effort to make sense of these random signals. I agree with
Freuds theories, because I believe people do dream about the things they desire, admire, or
secretly think of.
I think the mind releases these thoughts in the dreams, which unconsciously a person might
have some satisfaction from their dreams. Many people have dreams about a person they love;
they may dream about people they hate; some people even dream about a certain situation they
have been in and experienced trauma, or extreme happiness, or they may have sexual dreams.




References
Pinel 2007. Retrieved 24, May 2010.