Why Can Dreaming Regulate Body Temperature

From a physiological perspective, dreaming is necessary. Researchers have observed that all warm-blooded animals experience dreams (rapid eye movement) while cold-blooded animals do not exhibit such eye movements. This simple observation has led researchers to speculate whether dreaming is related to the regulation of body temperature in warm-blooded animals.

Research findings indicate that during the phase of dreaming, which is accompanied by increased brain activity, our brain helps maintain its warmth when our body temperature decreases at night. When we sleep, our body temperature drops by approximately 1.5℃, which aids in faster physical recovery during sleep. This theory suggests that our brain is more sensitive to temperature changes than our body, and therefore, it utilizes dreaming to maintain an appropriate body temperature, neither too low nor too high.