Our brains respond to daily thoughts, actions and activities by creating rapid, sometimes nonsensical moving images while we sleep. This is known as ‘dreaming’. When we dream, our brains are attempting to make sense of the day’s events and this fascinating and necessary cerebral function is responsible for preventing anxiety and irritability in our waking lives. The stage at which we begin dreaming is commonly known as rapid eye movement (or REM). When REM is prevented, the ability to dream is also prevented.
Of course, we are not the only species with the ability to dream. Scientists have carried out intensive studies into the activity within the brains of other animals during sleep to discover if they dream and to ascertain an indication of what they may dream about. Known for twitching, barking or ‘running’ while they are sleeping, dogs are prime candidates for research.
There are two main stages of sleep that we share with dogs known as SWS (slow wave sleep) and REM (rapid eye movement). During SWS, dog’s muscles are prepared for use, breathing is heavy and the heart rate is slow, and during REM, breathing quickens and heart rate increases. In both dogs and in humans, during the REM stage of sleep an electroencephalogram can be used to detect rapid and erratic activity within the brain. This indicates the point at which dreaming begins and the point at which many dogs will twitch and bark.
In accordance with this evidence, dogs do in fact dream. They are not the animals that do, either. It has been suggested that all mammals can dream, though the reasoning behind it is unclear.
Interestingly, studies suggest that dogs don’t suffer from nightmares. In fact, dogs that have been victims of neglect and abuse purportedly don’t experience REM and therefore don’t dream at all or dream very rarely. This is based on the theory that people who have been seriously abused or have faced severe trauma have a much higher chance of suffering from nightmares.
According to leading expert Dr. Ernest Hartmann, dreams are shaped by the emotions of the dreamer, so it therefore stands to reason that a dog may well dream about their family, their favourite activities or their favourite treat. Also, just like children dream far more often than adults, puppies dream far more often than adult dogs. Dreaming dogs must always be left to dream.
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