| Converging lines of research suggest that we might be misunderstanding something we do every night of our lives.  Illustration by Lina Müller Your mouth is suddenly full of loose teeth. Graduation is approaching, and you’ve failed to secure the required credits to get your diploma. You have some urgent task at hand, but your body feels laden or your head is swimming. Most people have recurring dreams (they’re not always nightmares)—and sleep scientists have long postulated that these vibrant narratives play out for various reasons as the brain operates at a disconnect from the body. But, as Amanda Gefter writes in a fascinating new story, recent studies suggest that, during sleep, the brain and the body may be listening to each other, and that the twitching that can be observed in species from honeybees to humans may hold the secret to the essential purpose of dreaming. One theory posits that the brain uses REM sleep, during which we have our most vivid dreams, to receive signals and “learn” the body, and that this process, as Gefter explains, “might continue throughout our lives, as we grow and shrink, suffer injuries and strokes, make new motor memories and learn new skills.” Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. Subscribe today » | 
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