Sleep and dreams

Photo of a person lying in a car boot with legs sticking out, parked cars in background.

How to nap

Whether it’s to recover after a late night or to boost your learning abilities, there’s a science to napping effectively

by Ruth Leong & Michael Chee

Abstract image of a silhouette against blue light with blurred text in the background, digital art.

What dream characters reveal about the astonishing dreaming brain

Such stuff as dreams are made on: the characters who populate your dreams have their own minds, separate from yours

by Antonio Zadra

Silhouetted photo of a family on a wooden pier overlooking a serene lake at sunset.

To learn from a psychedelic trip, explore the dreams that follow

Psychedelic experiences, properly digested, offer opportunities for change – and the dreams that follow them can help

by Mackenzie Amara

Black and white photo of a person sleeping on a train with their head on a blanket near a window with a blurred view outside.

The brain’s twilight zone: when you’re neither awake nor asleep

Neuroscientists are demystifying this in-between state, uncovering its role in memory processing and its creative potential

by Célia Lacaux

Photo of hands handling betting tokens, coins and paper slips on a brick surface with grass in background.

For players of fafi, dream interpretation is a vital skill

The fafi lottery game in South Africa requires the careful interpretation of dreams and the waking world around you

by Brittany Birberick

Aerial black and white photograph of a biplane flying over Edinburgh Castle and cityscape with dramatic clouds.

Five ways to take control of your dreams

Lucid dreaming lets you shape your dreamscape, whether your aims are practical or fantastical. These tips can get you started

by Christian Jarrett

Photo of a rainy car window with a blurred face silhouette inside and colourful lights outside.

Personal transformation can start with a whisper, not a bang

To understand personal transformation, we should listen to the incessant whispers in our stream of consciousness

by Jennifer Windt

Painting of a child seated at a table with a white cat on a red background. A bowl of fruit is in the foreground.

How to embrace being a lark or an owl

Skip the advice about training yourself to rise early or burn the midnight oil. Your natural rhythms are your best guide

by Shayla Love

Mixed media artwork on book pages with painted figures and snake overlapping text. Pages titled “The Interpretation of Dreams.”

The reason we dream might be to bring us closer together

Research has tended to focus on what dreams do for us when we’re sleeping – but what if the benefits play out the next day?

by Mark Blagrove

Photo of a bear crossing a dark road viewed from inside a car, dashboard visible in foreground.

How to calm your nightmares

Whether bad dreams stir you awake occasionally or routinely, these pre- and post-nightmare strategies can help alleviate them

by Katy Jakle

A person with a head covering climbs a rope ladder surrounded by bees in a mountainous area with smoke in the background.

A sacred dream sends one man on the perilous trail of toxic honey in Nepal

Directed by Ben Knight

Photo of a person lying in bed under soft light and shadows, with focus on their neck and shoulder.

Why poor sleep can lead to self-harm and suicide at university

Late nights plus exam pressure equals poor sleep. Is that why university students face higher risks of suicide and self-harm?

by Kirsten Russell & Donna Littlewood

Black-and-white photo of lava running down a rocky landscape towards three blossoming white trees under a cloudy sky.

From landscape to dreamscape, using the medium of Hawaiian lava

Directed by Kurtis Hough

Photo collage of a surreal bedroom scene from the perspective of a person in bed, featuring floating books, striped bedsheets, wall art, a window, and a bedside lamp.

A surreal ode to the wee hours when daily anxieties meet sleepless dreams

Directed by Christine Hooper

Photo showing a man’s reflection in glass with blurred people and tree branches in the foreground.

What a dream helped me see about the politics of sovereignty

A moment of insight captured the danger in our widespread ‘sovereigntism’ – and how we ought to relate to each other instead

by Rupert Read

Photo of a person walking a dog on a sunlit forest path with a warm, orange glow in the background.

Could dreams during anaesthesia help to heal life’s trauma?

Scientists are studying the dreamlike states produced by anaesthesia – and their potential benefits for people with PTSD

by Shayla Love