Dreams can—and often do—feature the most random assortment of people doing the most random things: You, a childhood friend, and a celebrity you’ve never met are all fighting an enemy in a parallel universe or playing hide-and-seek in Paris.
You wake up confused, happy, or scared, knowing that the adventure you just experienced was only an illogical journey that didn’t represent anything significant. Or did it?
What if our dreams do mean something? Not in a lucid, transcendental manner, but in a real, scientifically proven way? What if dreams are mirrors that reflect the state of a person’s physical and mental well-being?
Are Bad Dreams Warning Signs of Parkinson’s Disease?
Recent research suggests that nightmares and bad dreams may be early warning signs of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s. A 2022 longitudinal study spanning 12 years and involving 3,818 men aged 67 or older discovered a significant association between frequent distressing dreams and developing Parkinson’s disease five years after the initial assessment. However, this association noticeably diminished during the subsequent seven years of the study.“This suggests,” the study’s author noted, “that late-onset distressing dreams, rather than life-long distressing dreams, may be linked with increased [Parkinson’s disease] risk. ”
REM sleep behavior disorder—a sleep condition characterized by night terrors—can act as an early indicator of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s, sometimes decades before their onset, according to Patrick McNamara, who holds a doctorate in behavioral sciences and is an associate professor of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine.
“In REM sleep behavior disorder, people tend to act out their dreams during sleep,” Mr. McNamara told The Epoch Times. “They jump out of bed or flail about as they typically dream of being attacked by an intruder.”
What Recurring Dreams Might Indicate
According to the Academy of Sleep and Wellness, 60 to 75 percent of adults experience recurring dreams. Recurring dreams can often be attributed to “the mind working through current stress, processing a past event, or preparing for a future event,” Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a psychiatrist specializing in sleep health, told The Epoch Times.“Freud called this ‘day residue’ or the tendency to dream at night, as a continuation of thoughts or concerns from the daytime,” he added.
Is Vitamin B6 the Secret to Vivid Dreams?
Although the science of dreams is still highly speculative, researchers have found that nutrition may affect our dreams. One nutrient that has shown a close relationship with dream quality is vitamin B6.Researchers used a dream composite score that assessed participants’ dreams’ vividness, bizarreness, emotionality, and color. The results supported their hypothesis, demonstrating that B6 supplementation significantly increased the composite scores and dream recall.
Vitamin B6 is integral in synthesizing serotonin, a neurotransmitter that has been found to play a role in dream quality. Scientists theorize that supplementing B6 increases serotonin production, enhancing dream salience.
How to Have Good Dreams
Quality of sleep is closely related to the quality of dreams we experience, Dr. Dimitriu said. He advises against consuming meals, alcohol, or caffeine too close to bedtime, as these can undermine sleep architecture and, consequently, dream quality.Furthermore, Dr. Dimitriu emphasizes the significance of maintaining regular sleep and wake times, allowing for an eight-hour window to ensure sufficient sleep. “This means nothing exciting—screens, etc.—ideally one to two hours before bedtime,” he said.
“Good sleep loves quiet, darkness, regularity, and rhythm.”
