Dreaming and sleeping are closely linked. In ancient times, due to the lack of scientific knowledge, there was no scientific explanation for dreaming. Some believed that dreams were a result of the soul leaving the body and wandering around, while others believed they were messages from God or the possession of ghosts. These beliefs were absurd, ignorant, and superstitious.
With the advancement of science and the development of neurophysiology, people gradually discovered that certain parts of the cerebral cortex have some level of activity during sleep. When weak external or internal stimuli reach these parts and establish connections, dreams can be generated. Therefore, dreaming is a normal physiological phenomenon. It is inevitable to dream during a certain stage of sleep, and it serves many important physiological functions. Some scientists believe that normal dreaming plays a significant role in restoring intellectual capacity during sleep. Thus, normal dreaming is a natural physiological process.
People with neurasthenia are more prone to dreaming. Analysis of their sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) shows that the total duration of sleep does not decrease, but the number and duration of awakenings slightly increase, indicating shallower sleep. Therefore, these individuals often remember the scenes they heard or saw during each awakening period upon waking up.
As the saying goes, "Daytime thoughts, nighttime dreams." This has some truth to it. Even normal people dream, but because they are in deep sleep during the slow-wave phase, they cannot recall their dreams the next day. People with neurasthenia, due to their shallower sleep, experience various stimuli during the day that randomly connect and form dream scenarios during the rapid eye movement (REM) phase, resulting in vivid recollections the next day. Recently, scientists at the University of California, Guan Guo, discovered that not only do people have thoughts during the day and dreams during the night, but some individuals can also solve problems while dreaming. They found that the brain engages in conscious problem-solving activities during REM sleep when intense dreams occur.
So why do some people feel like they are having "chaotic dreams" all night? The principle is simple: it is due to the imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory functions in the brain's neural cells. When the balance between excitation and inhibition is disrupted during sleep, "chaotic dreams" occur. In this case, not only does intellectual capacity fail to recover, but physical strength also suffers, leaving people constantly exhausted.
Although the principle behind "chaotic dreams" is simple, there are various causes that lead to them. Some people excessively use their brains and do not allow them to rest properly, causing an imbalance between excitation and inhibition. Some are constantly troubled by negative emotions such as sadness, which also disrupts the balance. Others have physical weaknesses or are plagued by a certain illness, constantly stimulating the cerebral cortex and keeping it in an excited state, thus hindering proper rest.
