Dream your way to a better life and say goodnight to stress with our tips

From thesun.co.uk

Say goodnight to stress and good morning to new skills, better health and self-awareness – by unlocking the power of your dreams

RESITTING your GCSE maths? On a date with Chris Hemsworth? Naked in the supermarket for the fifth time this week?

It’s easy to laugh off our dreams as nothing more than random imaginings we have no control over, yet new research suggests dreaming is much more important to our mental and physical health than previously thought.
One study from the American Academy of Neurology showed those who have shorter dream-stage sleep may be at greater risk of developing dementia, while research by the University of Arizona suggests it can contribute to illnesses such as depression.
“Dreaming is a skill, and it’s possible to learn to do it more constructively,” says bestselling author and dream expert Charlie Morley.
“Everyone can learn techniques to dream better, which will help prepare your mind and body to tackle insomnia and stress and can lead to improved fitness.” Here’s how…

                                                   Get your eight hours
During sleep, the brain cycles through four stages every 90 minutes or so. Most of the first cycle is spent in stage four – the deep, slow-wave stage when the body repairs itself. But with each cycle that follows, more and more time is spent in the REM (rapid eye movement) stage, when dreams occur and the brain replenishes chemicals essential for remembering and problem-solving.
So if you only kip for five hours, you’ll get the physical benefits of stage-four sleep, but not the psychological renewal of REM, Charlie explains.
“That’s why learning a new skill and concentrating become harder the less sleep you get,” he adds. Eight hours is optimal to ensure you spend enough time in the REM stage.

                                                       Be a dream boss
Taking charge of our dreams isn’t just the stuff of Hollywood film Inception. Lucid dreaming, when we’re aware we’re having a dream, is scientifically recognised, with about 20% of us thought to experience it at least once a month.
In this state, the person “can guide the dream in a particular way, such as facing a fear”, says lucid dream expert Dr Clare Johnson. Charlie adds: “Athletes are experimenting with lucid dreaming, because practising physical moves in your sleep creates neural pathways that allow you to perform them better awake.”
But how do you have a lucid dream? First, you have to remember your regular ones. “Before you fall asleep, set the intention by telling yourself: ‘I will remember my dreams,’ over and over,” says Charlie.
When you wake up, write them down. “You’ll start to see patterns that will help you realise you’re in a dream.”

Beat insomnia

One in seven adults regularly struggle to get to sleep and stay asleep, which is when lucid dreaming could help, too.
“Those who suffer from insomnia are often anxious about the process of trying to get to sleep,” says Charlie.
“But giving sufferers something else to focus on, such as remembering their dreams, creates a diversion in the brain that puts that anxiety out of the picture.
Plus, insomniacs might believe they’ve been awake all night, but if they’ve had a lucid dream they know they haven’t, and this also relieves pressure on them.”

Three steps to lucid dreaming

1. Steer clear of social media “When you wake up, make your first thoughts about remembering dreams, rather than checking Facebook,” says Charlie.
2. Don’t share your dream diary “You might censor your dreams inadvertently if you’re worrying about being judged for them,” says Charlie.
3. Power nap During a 20-minute snooze, we go into “REM rebound” – a light sleep filled with vivid dreams, says Clare. “It’s a magic state for would-be lucid dreamers.”

Ditch the dictionaries

Despite the many books claiming to decode messages in dreams, many experts say there are no universal symbols.
A baby doesn’t necessarily signal a new beginning, while spiders aren’t always a warning of manipulation or scheming.
“Say two people dream about a cat,” explains Charlie. “If one of them was bitten by a cat as a child while the other likes watching cat videos on YouTube, it could represent childhood trauma for one and happiness for another. To properly interpret your dreams, you have to start seeing links between them and thinking about what the cat, for example, means to you specifically.”

Make tracks

The free Android app uDreamed allows you to record your dreams, analyse them and share them with professionals to gain insight about yourself. “We’re learning that dreams are especially informative about the emotional state of the dreamer,” says the app’s founder Chris Ufere.

                Keeping a dream diary can be very beneficial to your creative development

For instance, information from US users highlights the different experiences men and women have in the land of nod. “Women tend to dream about family and romantic interests, while men dream about celebrities, fictional characters and colleagues.
And for reasons unknown, women are more likely to dream about the deceased.” But Chris says women are also more likely to look for ways to resolve issues reflected in their dreams during their waking life by facing fears and resolving conflicts.

Have a ‘mare

Even negative dreams serve a purpose, preparing your mind and body for possible real-life scenarios.
“When you have nightmares, it’s believed you’re rehearsing your fight-or-flight survival mechanisms,” says Charlie.
“For example, the night before you go on holiday you might dream you forgot your passport. That dream helps prevent a negative outcome, because the first thing you do when you wake up is check you have your passport.”

Seek help if you need to

Some people have dreams in the transitional phase between being awake and asleep. “These are called hypnagogic hallucinations, and people who experience them more than once a month should tell their doctor,” says sleep expert Dr Meir Kryger. “I’ve had patients who had these hallucinations while driving.”
And while nightmares are normal, see your GP if you think they’re a result of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “Scientists believe a contributor to PTSD is activation of receptors in the brain that also control blood pressure, so sometimes the problem can be treated with medication,” Dr Kryger adds.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/5563509/dream-your-way-to-a-better-life/