And recent dream research has led to the possibility that dreams serve no purpose or function. Some researchers lean in the direction of these ideas:

• Dreams are not necessary for either physical or psychological health.
• There is reason to doubt that dreaming helps solve our day-to-day problems.
• Dream interpretation may be a complete waste of time. And those who claim they know what dream symbols mean, may know nothing.

For example, if you dream that a person is chasing you down a dark street, does that mean you are running away from confronting someone about an issue? If you fall off a cliff and hit the ground, does that mean you, or someone you know, is about to die? Doubtful.

These above comments may surprise or annoy you. Yet you should be aware that much is new in the world of dream research. Let’s begin with a big myth that most people seem to believe—everyone dreams.

The world of non-dreamers

Some people don’t dream at all. It’s true. And they carry on with their lives and remain mentally healthy. You may scoff and say these people do dream but simply cannot remember their dreams. Research proves you wrong.

Many people who have suffered a traumatic brain injury, perhaps from a stroke or tumour, lose their ability to dream at all. Damage to the front area of the brain often leads to a condition known as global cessation of dreaming. The person no longer dreams or has completely lost the ability for dream recall.

You may also be surprised to learn that a small percentage of healthy people who have not had an injury do not dream either. How do researchers know this? It has to do with REM sleep. REM stands for rapid eye movement. Back in 1953, REM sleep was discovered by two researchers who noticed that the eyeballs moved beneath the lids when people were dreaming.

Until recently, REM sleep was always thought to mean a person was in the dream state. However, when sleep lab researchers observe some people in REM sleep and wake them up and ask them if they were dreaming, they say no. By the way, another new finding is that people can dream in non-REM sleep also.

Children who don’t dream

Another surprising finding is that young children under the age of nine have limited capability for dreaming. Renowned dream researcher David Foulkes points out that the brain has to develop the ability to dream. So contrary to popular belief, young children don’t dream much and the dreams they do have are not well developed until about the age of 10.

As for Krishnamurti’s comments above, he said a mind that is fully alive and aware has no need for dreams. When you are awake and intently observing the world around you, without judging or comparing, simply watching, your mind becomes so alive that dreams are unnecessary. Sleep then becomes a time of complete renewal and you enter a different state of being that is beyond the mind and dreams.

Yet, dreaming is something that most people do. However, we remember less than five per cent of what we dream about. So why do some people have such vivid, elaborate dreams? There are bad reasons and good reasons.

The dark side of elaborate dreams

Some people have dreams that are so elaborate; they act them out in a negative way. These are people with a sleep disorder called REM sleep behaviour disorder, also sometimes abbreviated as RBD.

Normally, during the dream state, the body is completely paralysed. Nature has made sure we cannot move while dreaming. The muscles go completely limp. Thankfully, we sleep in beds for the most part because if you were sitting in a chair and dreaming, you might find yourself on the floor.

However, in REM sleep behaviour disorder, the muscles are not paralysed. This can be dangerous because whatever vivid dream this person is having, they begin to physically act it out.

Imagine a person with RBD who is dreaming of being attacked by giant, poisonous butterflies. This person may swat and swing at the insects. Their arms flail; they may kick. There are many instances where bed partners have been hit with fists and severely injured. Sometimes furniture gets broken as the dreamer jumps on it or throws an alarm clock across the room.

The alarming dreams of new mothers

Postpartum infant dreams are another type of dream that can be quite vivid for new mothers. The dreams revolve around danger to their new babies. A mother may feel the child is lost or suffocating in their bed.

While sleeping, the mother may call out, cry, or feel around in the bed searching for the infant. In some cases, she may act out the dream and grab her bed partner, looking for the baby. There are even instances where the dreams are so real, the mother will sleepwalk in search of the infant.

The bright side of vivid, elaborate dreams

When I was a young boy, many moons ago, I had a favourite uncle I spent a lot of time talking with. He told me fanciful stories about his dreams. As long as he could remember he was able to fly in his dreams. I found this fascinating and was captivated by the wild tales he told me of the things he did and the people he met, all while he was asleep.

Not only could he fly, he could control everything that happened in his dreams. If he wanted to talk to someone, he had no fear of doing so. If he wanted to go somewhere, he’d go. He remembered colours, details, and exaggerated themes in these dreams.

This type of dreaming is known as lucid dreaming and is perhaps the most elaborate and fun type of dreaming. In lucid dreaming, just as with my uncle, a person is able to do almost anything they want. There are no rules. There are no limitations. There are no consequences. It’s almost as though you become a director of your own movie.

Prepare yourself to dream what you want

There are two possible reasons why some people have more elaborate dreams than others. First, some people are intently interested in their dreams. They make it a point to remember their dreams and write them down. If you would like to do the same, keep a dream journal or dream diary next to your bed. As soon as you wake up, write down what you were dreaming.

Second, some people, with practice, can tell themselves to dream about a particular topic, and they do. This can produce a more detailed dreaming experience.

Whether you dream or don’t, I think it’s clear there is a bridge that connects your waking life and your sleeping life. What happens when these two worlds merge into one? Only you can discover that for yourself by driving across that bridge. The vehicle that carries you is awareness.

The post What dreams may come appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

1. Prepare before you leave

Being well-rested before any trip is the best preparation you can make. Here are some sleep hygiene habits you should try to follow at least two days prior to your departure.

Relax. Get in the habit of winding down an hour before bed. Rushing around before you hit the mattress often means a mind that rushes around while you’re in bed. Take a warm bath to melt away the tension of your day. Stay away from checking e-mail or watching high-tension programmes on the TV just before going to bed.

Avoid alcohol in the evening. Alcohol is a major sleep disruptor. It can help you fall asleep, but when it wears off in three or four hours, you’ll pop awake. Then getting back to sleep can be difficult.

Cut out caffeine several hours before you intend to sleep. Caffeine stays in the system for a long time, making it difficult to fall asleep. Many medications also contain caffeine. Taking these medications earlier in the day may help you sleep better at night. Check with your doctor about this if you have trouble falling asleep. Having chocolate in the evening may also keep you up.

Say no to nicotine. Smoking acts as a stimulant, so if you are a smoker, reduce the quantity few days before you are scheduled to travel.

Snack. Having a small snack an hour or two before bed is a good idea. It keeps hunger from waking you up. Tart cherries are one of the best foods for sleep because they contain melatonin. Oatmeal, cereal, bananas, walnuts, peanut butter, and tofu are also good. If dairy products and eggs are part of your diet, eat them. They contain tryptophan, which helps with falling asleep.

Avoid big meals before bed. It may be tempting to indulge in greasy, high-fat foods at dinner. However, you’ll pay a heavy price with indigestion. These foods also disrupt sleep cycles. If you’re excited about trying the local cuisine when you travel, consider making lunch your biggest meal of the day.

Turn off your cell phone. Or at least keep it on silent mode to make certain it doesn’t ring and wake you up.  Also, light from mobile devices can disrupt sleep. So if you insist on keeping the device on in your bedroom, lower the brightness setting. And keep the phone a couple of feet away from your eyes.

Will you be flying?

Jet lag is a sleep disorder that disrupts your biological clock. It can cause insomnia, stomach upset, exhaustion, bad temper and foggy thinking. How you reduce the effects of jet lag depends on how long you’ll be travelling, how many time zones you’ll be crossing, and which direction you’re going.

If you’re only going to be gone two days, don’t bother trying to readjust your time schedule. Eat and sleep at the same times as you do at home. But if it’s a long trip, across many time zones and for several days, adjust your bedtime before your trip. If you’re flying east, go to bed one to two hours sooner than you normally would, two or three days before your trip. If you’re heading west, practise going to bed one to two hours later than normal.

You can also use light to relieve jet lag and help you sleep better. If you are flying east, and crossing fewer than eight time zones, get out into bright sunlight in the morning. If going west, seek exposure to sunlight in the evening. If you’re travelling east over eight time zones or more, avoid morning sunlight until a few days have passed. If you’re flying west, you should avoid light in the evening hours for a few days.

You can avoid being exposed to bright light by wearing sunglasses, even indoors. And if you don’t have access to sunlight, consider carrying a small blue light box with you as you travel.

Special advice for people with sleep apnoea

If you have obstructive sleep apnoea, and use a CPAP [continuous positive airway pressure] machine to help you sleep, there are important precautions you should take before flying.

First, call the airline and find out their policies on using CPAP during the flight. Different airlines have different policies and a lot of what you need to know may not be found on airlines’ websites. Some allow battery-operated machines. Few allow you to plug into the aircraft power supply. And some airlines only allow a certain type of CPAP machine.

2. Adapt as you travel

I’ve always liked trains. However, they’re cramped, they sway and they rattle. To sleep well on a train, you have to adapt to the conditions. The best advice is to always carry ear plugs and a sleep or eye mask with you. An inflatable pillow comes in handy too.

If you suffer from motion sickness, it’s tough to sleep when you’re dizzy or nauseous. So talk to your doctor before you leave to see if taking a medication is a good choice for you. Some people succeed in calming their motion sickness using natural remedies such as ginger tea or ginger supplements.

When flying, it’s important to adapt to the new area you will soon be in. For example, sleeping during a flight journey helps if it’s night time at your destination. If it’s not mealtime at your destination, skip the airline meal so you stay in sync with the time zone you’re heading to. The point is to sleep well in your new surroundings, adapt your life right now to what is happening at your destination.

3. Settle into your new place

If you’re going to be staying in a hotel, here are some strategies for good sleep:

• Keep the temperature in your hotel room at between 18 and 22 degrees Celsius. This is the ideal temperature for sleep.
• Call your hotel ahead of time. Make sure you don’t get stuck with a room near the elevators, vending and ice machines, above an exercise area, or near the front desk.
• Studies show exercise significantly improves sleep quality. Bring your exercise clothing and shoes and get in a 30-minute workout at the hotel’s gym. Or simply go for a brisk walk every day.

Keep in mind that no matter where you stay when you travel, a dark room is essential for a good night’s sleep.

A note about melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone released by the pineal gland in response to darkness. In supplement form, it helps some people fall asleep quicker and sleep better. And studies have shown it to be effective for jet lag in doses of between 0.5 to 5 mg. Ask your doctor about how you can use it as a supplement.

This was first published in the February 2014 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

The post Expert Advice on How to Sleep Well During Travel appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.