1. MISCONCEPTION: EATING CHEESE BEFORE BED CAN GIVE YOU NIGHTMARES.
误解一：睡觉前吃奶酪会做噩梦
At one point in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge dismisses a ghostly encounter as being just as likely from the crumb of cheese he had before bed. It sounds a bit odd, but cheese has historically gotten a bad rap for its ability to conjure nightmares. It's unlikely that a little cheddar is the root of your nighttime terrors, though.
查尔斯·狄更斯的《圣诞颂歌》有这样一段情节：埃比尼泽·斯克鲁奇在遇见鬼魂后不以为然，认为是他睡觉前吃的奶酪碎屑在作祟。这听上去有点诡异，但是历史上奶酪一直有招来噩梦的坏名声。然而，吃一点切达干酪就让你做噩梦是不太可能的。
In 2005, the British Cheese Board funded a study to debunk the myths about cheese causing nightmares. As part of the experiment, 200 participants snacked on 20 grams of cheese a half-hour before bedtime. Sixty-seven percent of cheese eaters reported remembering their dreams, but none of them recorded nightmares. The dreams they did have, however, were pretty funky. One participant detailed dreaming about a vegetarian crocodile who was distressed about not being able to eat children, while another dreamed of soldiers who fought with kittens instead of guns.
2005年，英国奶酪委员会资助了一项研究，旨在揭穿吃奶酪导致做噩梦的误解。研究开展了一项实验，让200个参与者在睡觉前半小时每人摄入20克奶酪。这些吃奶酪的人有67%报告称记得自己做的梦，但是没有人自称做了噩梦。不过他们的梦相当夸张。一名参与者梦见一条吃素的鳄鱼因为无法吃小孩而感到苦恼，另一名参与者则梦见用小猫而非枪支打仗的士兵。
2. MISCONCEPTION: WE ONLY DREAM DURING REM SLEEP.
误解二：我们只在快速眼动睡眠期间做梦
There’s a lot we don’t know about dreams, but for a long time, we were certain they only occurred during REM sleep. Now, it has been proven that we actually dream during different stages of sleep. We’re just more likely to remember the dreams we have during REM sleep. These REM sleep dreams tend to be more vivid, exciting, and just plain weird. Non-REM sleep dreams, on the other hand, are simpler and less emotional.
我们对梦不了解的地方还有很多，但是长时间以来，人们坚信只有快速眼动睡眠期间才会做梦。如今事实证明，我们在睡眠的不同阶段都会做梦。我们只是更容易记住在快速眼动睡眠期间做的梦。在这期间做的梦通常更生动、更刺激，而且更诡异。不在快速眼动睡眠期间做的梦则更简单，也更平淡。
3. MISCONCEPTION: DREAMS ARE ENTIRELY MEANINGLESS.
误解三：梦是毫无意义的
While it may be difficult to draw conclusions from any one particular dream, research suggests that dreams are more than just a random montage of scenes that flit through our brains at night. Recurring patterns in dreams often accurately reflect concerns people have about their daily lives. And those dreams you had about being uNPRepared for a test or showing up to class in your underwear aren’t limited to your high school days. A person is likely to have those dreams long after they’ve graduated, as they often crop up during times of stress. So, if you’re feeling extra anxious in the days leading up to a job interview, don’t be surprised if your subconscious revives that old math test nightmare.
尽管根据某个特别的梦得出结论或许很难，但是研究表明，梦不只是我们的大脑在夜里闪过的随机画面组合。反复做的梦通常准确地反映出人们在日常生活中的忧虑。并不是只有在高中时代才会做那种来不及备考或穿着内衣出现在课堂上的梦。一个人可能在毕业很久之后还会做这种梦，他们通常在压力大的时候梦见这些。因此，如果你在求职面试前夕感觉特别焦虑，那么就不要奇怪你的潜意识唤醒了那个数学考试的可怕旧梦。