Question: Do you also research dreams whilst working on sleep? If so why do we dream because I find that one of life's mysteries?

Alex Reid answered on 5 Nov 2018: last edited 9 Nov 2018 2:31 pm

Thank you for your question and yes I have done research on dreams. You are right to find them mysterious because they are! They are also super hard to measure for a number of reasons, and as scientists we need things to measure or else there is no science! People forget dreams really easily. They may think they saw things they didn’t and vice versa, and as scientists we like to be as accurate as possible. Our current understanding of dreams (which may change) is that they are a byproduct of memory consolidation, something your brain does when you sleep. While your brain is reshaping memories you formed during the day it may filter up into you consciousness and manifest as hallucinations. As such dreams may not have a ‘function’ (such as a heart or lungs) but instead may be a bit more of a byproduct, kind of like how heat comes off a car engine when it is running. This doesn’t mean they are not interesting (they are!) and many researchers are still looking at what goes on.