The surprising health benefits of dreaming | Sleeping with Science

Transcriber:

Why do we dream?

Translator: Shelley Tsang 曾雯海

我地點解會發夢？

[Sleeping with Science]

[與科學同眠]

Well, we dream for at least several different reasons.

我地會發夢嘅理由至少有好幾個。

One key benefit is creativity.

其中一項重要嘅益處係創意。

Sleep, including dream sleep,

訓覺，包括一路發夢一路訓，

is associated with an enhanced ability to solve next-day problems.

同增強第二日解決問題嘅能力有關。

It's almost as though we go to sleep with the pieces of the jigsaw,

就好似我地帶著砌圖訓覺，

but we wake up with the puzzle complete.

但係我地訓醒之後，砌圖就砌好左。

The second benefit of REM-sleep dreaming is emotional first aid.

快速動眼期訓覺發夢嘅第二個益處係情緒急救。

REM sleep takes the painful sting out of difficult emotional experiences

快速動眼期訓覺可以把痛死人嘅刺 從難過嘅情緒經歷中拔出嚟。

so that when we come back the next day,

隔天我地再返嚟嘅時候，

we feel better about those painful events.

我地對果啲痛苦事件嘅感受會好些。

You can almost think of dreaming as a form of overnight therapy.

你幾乎可以將發夢諗成是某種形式嘅一夜治療。

It's not time that heals all wounds,

治癒所有傷口嘅並唔係時間，

but it's time during dream sleep

而係有發夢嘅訓覺時間，

that provides emotional convalescence.

可以協助情緒康復。

Now, it's not just that you dream.

宜家唔只係要發夢，

It's also what you dream about that seems to make a difference.

發咩夢似乎都會有差別。

Scientists have discovered

科學家發現，

that after learning a virtual maze, for example,

比如，係學習左虛擬迷宮之後，

those individuals who slept

果啲喺睡覺嘅同時

but critically also dreamed about the maze

仲夢到迷宮嘅人，

were the only ones who ended up being better at navigating the maze

係唯一果啲醒左之後，

when they woke up.

仲可以喺迷宮入面搵到方向嘅人。

And this same principle is true for our mental health.

同樣嘅原則都適用於我地嘅心理健康。

For example, people going through a difficult or traumatic experience

比如，當一個人經歷左好難過或者創傷性嘅事件，

such as a divorce,

例如離婚，

and who are dreaming about that event,

如果有夢見這件事，

go on to gain resolution to their depression

跟住可以諗辦法解決佢地嘅沮喪，

relative to those who were dreaming

相對之下，有發夢，

but not dreaming about the events themselves.

但係無夢見呢件事嘅人就無辦法。

All of which means that sleep

上述呢一切意味著，

and the very act of dreaming itself

訓覺以及發夢這個動作本身，

appears to be an essential ingredient to so much of our waking lives.

顯然係構成我地清醒生活嘅重要元素。

We dream,

我地發夢，

therefore we are.

所以我地喺度。