The ancient Egyptians thought dreams foretold the future. Today, we know they tell us about our own psychology. The truth is, we need them for good mental health. Sleeping helps the brain organize and clean itself. Having a good night’s rest after learning a new skill can make you up to 10 times better at it, according to one study out of Harvard Medical School.
Dreams help us process emotions and solidify memories. Our brain basically separates our memories from the emotions associated with them, when we’re sleeping. In other words, our emotions are processed during a certain sleep phase. Should they fail to be processed properly, one’s anxiety might increase. There’s a strong correlation between sleep deprivation and mood disorders, specifically anxiety and depression.