Research shows that dreaming is not just a byproduct of sleep, but serves its own important functions in our well-being.

BY MATTHEW WALKER , The Greater Good Science Center

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We often hear stories of people whove learned from their dreams or been inspired by them. Think of Paul McCartneys story of how his hit song Yesterday came to him in a dream or of Mendeleevs dream-inspired construction of the periodic table of elements.

But, while many of us may feel that our dreams have special meaning or a useful purpose, science has been more skeptical of that claim. Instead of being harbingers of creativity or some kind of message from our unconscious, some scientists have considered dreaming to be an unintended consequence of sleepa byproduct of evolution without benefit.