Stress neurotransmitters in the brain are much less active during the REM stage of sleep, even during dreams of traumatic experiences, leading some researchers to theorize that one purpose of dreaming is to take the edge off painful experiences to allow for psychological healing.
Aktivitas neurotransmitter stres berkurang selama tahap tidur REM bahkan saat bermimpi tentang pengalaman traumatis. Periset berteori bahwa salah satu tujuan mimpi adalah mengurangi beban pengalaman menyakitkan untuk menyembuhkan luka psikologis.