London, Aug 15 (IANS) Vivid dreams have a way of boosting our memories, making us better problem solvers.
People who go through a dream-filled sleep can recall information more easily and link facts upon awakening.
The results add to the growing body of evidence that Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep (when our most intensely remembered dreams occur) is vital to the brain’s ability to lay down and consolidate memories, reports the Telegraph.
An average night’s repose includes four or five spells of REM sleep, but these bursts tend to be lengthier towards the end of the night.
It implies that adults who get less than the recommended seven to eight hours a night – and therefore insufficient REM sleep – may be damaging their mind’s ability to form strong memories.
Although REM sleep is not classified as a type of deep sleep, it is only reached after the brain has passed through deep sleep stages.
Sara Mednick, sleep researcher at the University of California in San Diego who led the study, said: ‘REM sleep is important for pulling together all the information we process on a daily basis and turning it into memories we can use later.’
The research was presented at the annual Convention of the American Psychological Association in San Diego.
It is now believed that sleep acts as a sort of mental filing system, enabling the brain to sort relevant information that needs to be retained from useless information which can be discarded.
A Harvard Medical School study published in April found that volunteers who enjoyed dream-filled sleep were up to 10 times better at learning a complex task than those who stayed awake.
