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Of all the components of a good night’s sleep，dreams seem to be least within our control.In dreams，a window opens into a world where logic is suspended and dead people speak.A century ago，Freud formulated his revolutionary theory that dreams were the disguised shadows of our unconscious desires and fears；by the late 1970s，neurologists had switched to thinking of them as just“mental noise”—the random byproducts of the neural-repair work that goes on during sleep.Now researchers suspect that dreams are part of the mind’s emotional thermostat，regulating moods while the brain is“off-line”.And one leading authority says that these intensely powerful mental events can be not only harnessed but actually brought under conscious control，to help us sleep and feel better.“It’s your dream，”says Rosalind Cartwright，chair of psychology at Chicago’s Medical Center.“If you don’t like it，change it.”
Evidence from brain imaging supports this view.The brain is as active during REM （rapid eye movement）sleep—when most vivid dreams occur—as it is when fully awake，says Dr.Eric Nofzinger at the University of Pittsburgh.But not all parts of the brain are equally involved，the limbic system（the“emotional brain”）is especially active，while the prefrontal cortex（the center of intellect and reasoning）is relatively quiet.“We wake up from dreams happy or depressed，and those feelings can stay with us all day’”says Stanford sleep researcher Dr.William Dement.
The link between dreams and emotions shows up among the patients in Cartwright’s clinic.Most people seem to have more bad dreams early in the night，progressing toward happier ones before awakening，suggesting that they are working through negative feelings generated during the day.Because our conscious mind is occupied with daily life we don’t always think about the emotional significance of the day’s events—until，it appears，we begin to dream.
And this process need not be left to the unconscious.Cartwright believes one can exercise conscious control over recurring bad dreams.As soon as you awaken，identify what is upsetting about the dream.Visualize how you would like it to end instead，the next time it occurs，try to wake up just enough to control its course.With much practice people can learn to，literally，do it in their sleep.
At the end of the day，there’s probably little reason to pay attention to our dreams at all unless they keep us from sleeping or“we wake up in a panic”，Cartwright says.Terrorism，economic uncertainties and general feelings of insecurity have increased people’s anxiety.Those suffering from persistent nightmares should seek help from a therapist.For the rest of us，the brain has its ways of working through bad feelings.Sleep—or rather dream—on it and you’ll feel better in the morning.
重点词汇：
neurologist 神经病学家，神经科医师（n.）
switch 转变，转向（n./v.）
random 随机的，任意的（adj.）
byproduct 副产品（n.）
thermostat 调温器（n.）
regulate 调节；管理，控制（v.）
harness 治理；利用（n./v.）
occur 出现；发生（v.）
limbic system [大脑]边缘系统（n.）
prefrontal cortex [大脑]前额叶皮层（n.）
recur 反复出现，再发生（v.）
visualize 想象；使形象化（v.）
significance 重要性；重要的状态或性质（n.）
persistent 持续的；坚持不懈的（adj.）
nightmare 梦魇，噩梦（n.）
therapist 治疗学家（n.）(https://www.daowen.com)
难句解析：
①And one leading authority says that these intensely powerful mental events can be not only harnessed but actually brought under conscious control，to help us sleep and feel better.
【结构分析】该句的主干是one leading authority says，其宾语是that引导的宾语从句。宾语从句的主干是these events can be not only harnessed but actually brought
，其中并列连词结构not only
but（also）连接两个过去分词，表示“不仅被驾驭……而且被有意识地加以控制”。不定式在宾语从句中做结果状语。
【句子翻译】一名主要的权威人士说，梦这种异常强烈的精神活动不仅能被驾驭，事实上还可以有意识地加以控制，以帮助我们得到更好的睡眠和感受。
②The brain is as active during REM（rapid eye movement）sleep—when most vivid dreams occur—as it is when fully awake，says Dr.Eric Nofzinger at the University of Pittsburgh.
【结构分析】该句是一个倒装句，句首是间接引语的宾语从句，主谓结构后置，即says Dr.Eric。宾语从句的主干是个比较结构The brain is as active during REM as it is when fully awake。两个破折号之间是插入语，做定语从句，修饰REM sleep，即“出现清晰梦境的快速动眼睡眠”。
【句子翻译】匹兹堡大学的埃里克博士说，在出现清晰梦境的快速动眼睡眠中大脑和完全清醒时一样活跃。
③Most people seem to have more bad dreams early in the night，progressing toward happier ones before awakening，suggesting that they are working through negative feelings generated during the day.
【结构分析】该句的主句后跟有两个现在分词结构，第一个分词结构表伴随，其动作和主句中的动作几乎同时发生；第二个分词结构表结果，即“因此表明……”。
【句子翻译】大多数人似乎在晚上入睡的较早阶段做更多不好的梦，而在快睡醒前会逐渐做开心一些的梦，这说明人们在梦里渐渐克服了白天的不良情绪。
④A century ago，Freud formulated his revolutionary theory that dreams were the disguised shadows of our unconscious desires and rears；by the late 1970s，neurologists had switched to thinking of them as just“mental noise”—the random byproducts of the neural-repair work that goes on during sleep.
【结构分析】本句由分号分为两部分，其中第一部分的主干是Freud formulated his revolutionary theory
，宾语theory后面是一个以that引导的同位语从句，说明theory的内容；在第二部分中，代词them指代的是dreams，破折号后面的部分the random byproducts of the neural-repair work
进一步解释什么是mental noise，work后面的that引导一个定语从句，修饰work。
⑤Now researchers suspect that dreams are part of the mind’s emotional thermostat，regulating moods while the brain is“off-line”.
【结构分析】suspect后面是that引导的宾语从句；逗号之后的现在分词短语regulating moods
做定语，解释thermostat的意思，句末的while引导一个时间状语从句。
⑥At the end of the day，there’s probably little reason to pay attention to our dreams at all unless they keep us from sleeping or“we wake up in a panic”，Cartwright says.
【结构分析】句首的At the end of the day是时间状语，there’s probably little reason to pay attention to our dreams at all是主句，后面的unless引导条件状语从句，其中包含以or连接的两个并列分句。
【理解难点】在英语中，如果要表示一句话或一个观点是某个人说的，这个说话的人通常出现在句子中间或者句子的末尾。
全文翻译：
在高质量睡眠的所有因素中，梦似乎是最无法控制的一个。在梦中窗户通向的世界里，逻辑暂时失去了效用，死人会开口说话。一个世纪前，弗洛伊德阐述了革命性的理论，即梦是人们潜意识中欲望和恐惧经伪装后的预示；到了20世纪70年代末期，神经病学家们转而认为梦是“精神噪声”，即睡眠时进行的神经修复活动的一种杂乱的副产品。目前，研究人员猜想梦是大脑情感自动调节系统的组成部分，会在大脑处于“掉线”状态时对情绪进行调整。一名主要的权威人士说，梦这种异常强烈的精神活动不仅能被驾驭，事实上还可以有意识地加以控制，以帮助我们得到更好的睡眠和感受。芝加哥医疗中心心理学系主任罗莎琳德·卡特赖特说：“梦是你自己的，如果你不喜欢，就改变它。”
大脑造影的证据支持了以上观点。匹兹堡大学的埃里克博士说，在出现清晰梦境的快速动眼睡眠中大脑和完全清醒时一样活跃。但并非大脑的所有部分都一样，脑边缘系统（“情绪大脑”）异常活跃，而前额皮层（思维和推理的中心地带）则相对平静。斯坦福睡眠研究员威廉·德蒙特博士说：“我们从梦中醒来，或者高兴或者沮丧，这些情绪会伴随我们一整天。”
梦和情绪之间的联系在卡特赖特诊所里的病人身上显露出来了。多数人似乎在晚上入睡的较早阶段做更多不好的梦，而在快睡醒前会逐渐做开心一些的梦，这说明人们在梦里渐渐克服了白天的不良情绪。因为清醒时我们的头脑被日常琐事占据着，所以并不会总是想着白天发生的事情对我们情绪的影响，直到我们开始做梦，这种影响才出现。
这一过程不一定是无意识的。卡特赖特认为人们可以练习有意识地控制噩梦的重现。你一醒来就立刻确定梦中有什么在困扰你，设想一下你所希望的梦的结局，下次再做同样的梦时，试图醒过来以控制它的进程。通过多次练习，人们完全可以学会在梦中这样做。
卡特赖特说，说到底，只要梦不使我们无法睡眠或“从梦中惊醒”，就没有理由太在意所做的梦。恐怖主义、经济不稳定及通常的不安全感都增加了人们的焦虑。那些长期受到噩梦折磨的人应该寻求专家帮助，而对其他人来说，大脑有自动消除不良情绪的方法。安心睡觉甚至做梦，早上醒来时你会感觉好多了。