Sleep Research
Sleep research is all about coming to terms with the darker side of the mind. The science of sleep helps us delve into the unconscious mind and return with insights into the basic needs of the human brain and body.
In this section, you can learn about the history and science of sleep, and how breakthrough theories from Sigmund Freud helped us to further our understanding of dreams and the unconscious mind.
Learn about the shocking effects of sleep deprivation - a state which lingers at the edge of consciousness, but for most people never quite takes hold. Later we will look at voluntary and forced sleep deprivation. A History of Sleep
The science of sleep and dreaming goes back millennia - as you will see in the history of sleep. See how the ancient Greeks and Egyptians interpreted dreams and went on to create their own primitive theories of sleep.
Learn about Circadian Rhythms and how it was another two centuries before Sigmund Freud emerged on the scene with his famous book on dream analysis: The Interpretation of Dreams. |
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You can also read about Peter Tripp's attempt to break the world record in sleep deprivation and the long term effects it had on his personality. Read about the official discovery of lucid dreaming in the 1960s and how it revolutionized our understanding of the sleeping human brain. Why Do We Sleep?
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To learn about modern sleep research, take a look at why do we sleep?
This article explains the nature of the NREM and REM sleep cycles, with the brainwave changes that occur in the unconscious mind. It is all about the science of sleep and the human brain. |
Discover the role played by neurotransmitters in sleep rhythms and compare human sleep requirements with a host of other animals. This leads to a look at evolution and the four main theories of sleep.
Sleep Deprivation
The most famous sleep research often involves sleep deprivation. When humans go without sleep for more than 24 hours, strange things begin to happen... Their minds and bodies soon deteriorate.
Learn about attempts to break the Guinness World Record for sleep deprivation, including Peter Tripp, Randy Gardner, Toimi Soini, Maureen Weston, and the upcoming stunt by David Blaine. |
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Discover the mental and physical effects of sleep deprivation, including real life studies of people with Fatal Familial Insomnia. FFI is a tragic genetic disease which kills its victims from a complete lack of sleep. Understanding this has driven the science of sleep to new realms.
Why Do We Dream?
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If the light has been shed on sleep research - then we are still poking around in the dark for a practical theory of why do we dream?
There is plenty of dream research from the last few decades, but still there is no single accepted theory for this hallucinogenic state. Sigmund Freud had many ideas (including the theory of Id, Ego and Super-Ego) but Freud remains controversial. |
Some scientists say that dreams are random impulses from the brain stem, while others insist there is logic and meaning to our dreams, arising from the unconscious mind. Find out why some researchers think dreaming may be a coping method to help us deal with potential real life traumas.
Dream Interpretation
What are the meaning of dreams? Dream interpretation is based on the theory that dreams offer hidden messages from the unconscious mind. They may be vital to uncovering lost memories and repressed thoughts - if you really want to dig them up, that is...
Sigmund Freud was the first to put dream interpretation onto the map of sleep research. Many people still find his dream analysis useful today. Here you can learn about the language of the unconscious human brain, which talks in neural patterns, and how we can relate to it with dream symbols.
Sleep Research
History of Sleep
Why Do We sleep?
Sleep Deprivation
Why Do We Dream?
Dream Interpretation
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