The free, dream-shaping iPhone app monitors sleep patterns and plays carefully constructed sounds designed to evoke pleasant dreams - and the best time to use it might be when there is a full moon.
Results of a new mass-participation experiment show that the "Dream:ON" download really does influence dreaming, helping people to sleep peacefully and wake up happy and refreshed.
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One unexpected finding was that a full moon appeared to bring on bizarre dreams in study participants.
A possible reason is that moonlight streaming through the bedroom curtains creates feelings of unease inherited from our prehistoric past, when predators were a constant threat.
Psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman, from the University of Hertfordshire, said: "People fall asleep later when there's a full moon, sleep about 20 minutes less, and spend less time in deep sleep.
"We know that poor sleep is associated with disturbing dreams."
Story continues below the slideshow:
8 Natural Ways To Get A Better Night's Sleep
Drink Warm Milk(01 of19)
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Theory: Warm milk makes you sleepy due to its tryptophan content (an amino acid that promotes sleep).How to: The reality is you’d have to drink over five litres to feel the effects of tryptophan. Warm milk is more of a placebo — which is perfectly fine, because if it helps you sleep then why not try it?
Bananas(02 of19)
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Theory: Bananas contain high levels of magnesium, a mineral that acts like a muscle relaxant, and potassium which can help regulate sleep patterns and calm your nerves.How to: Make bananas your bedtime snack and it could help you get to sleep faster. (credit:CARL COURT/AFP/Getty Images)
Tea(03 of19)
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Theory: Although drinking warm tea before bed hasn’t been proven to help you sleep better, the ritual of sitting down to drink it can help you unwind after a long day.How to: Make sure to reach for non-caffeinated teas, such as valerian and chamomile, which can help make you drowsy. Although sleep-inducing benefits aren’t actual properties of these teas, making this a part of your bedtime ritual can help you relax before bed.
Maintain A Regular Exercise Regimen(04 of19)
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Theory: Regular exercise maintains and improves cardiovascular health, which is a key to a good night’s sleep.How to: The most efficient way to maintain a regular exercise regimen is to find a form of physical activity that you enjoy and schedule it into your day as you would a meeting or a meal. Regular exercise will help you feel energized throughout the day and tire you out for a restful night’s sleep.
Avoid Evening Workouts(05 of19)
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Theory: Although all physical exercise is good, no matter what time of the day, exercise stimulates your heart, brain and muscles, so working out right before bed might make it harder for you to fall asleep.How to: Exercise gives you energy, so try morning and afternoon workouts to get you through the day and avoid exercising four hours before bedtime.
Practice Yoga(06 of19)
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Theory: Practicing a five to 10-minute yoga routine before bed can help you ease into a sleeping mode.How to: Some helpful poses you can do to prepare for sleep are the upside-down relaxation, winding down twist and the night-time goddess stretch. The best part is you can do all these moves on your bed!
Grab Protein Instead Of Carbs For A Bedtime Snack(07 of19)
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Theory: If you are exercising regularly, having a bedtime snack to curb the hunger pains can help you focus on sleep instead of your rumbling tummy.How to: Bread, cookies and cereal seem like the obvious go-tos, however they will spike your blood sugar. This causes your body to release hormones to regulate your sugar levels, stimulating your brain and causing you to lay awake counting sheep. Instead, reach for low-sugar, high-protein foods such as Greek yogurt, a few ounces of chicken or a tablespoon of nut butter, all of which won’t spike your blood sugar and will allow your brain to be ready for sleep.
(08 of19)
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NEXT: 9 perks of a good night's sleep
No Large Meals Within Three Hours Of Bedtime(09 of19)
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Theory: Eating a large meal right before climbing into bed puts a lot of stress on your stomach to digest, which may keep you awake. Also, watch out for spicy or acidic snacks, as they may cause indigestion and heartburn.How to: Aim to eat dinner no later than three hours before your bedtime to ensure it’s been fully digested before climbing into bed.
You'll Look Prettier(10 of19)
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Sleeping beauty had this one right: regular shuteye alone actually makes you look prettier, according to a 2010 study published in the British Medical Journal.The researchers took photos of 23 people after a normal night's sleep of eight hours and after a period of sleep deprivation. Then, a group of 65 people rated each set of photos for perceived health, attractiveness and tiredness. The sleep deprived group scored lower in all three categories."We propose that sleep is a cheap and effective beauty treatment, both acutely and in the long-term," John Axelsson, lead researcher on the study, told MSNBC. "Sleep should be seen as the body's natural beauty treatment and a clear alternative or complement to other beauty treatments."Sleep can also actually help to keep your skin in top condition. Over the long term, sleep deprivation can cause increased stress-related aging, a decreased ability to stay hydrated and a decreased ability to fight off environmental pollutants, writes Elizabeth Tanzi, M.D. on DoctorOz.com."The most important thing you can do for your skin may be getting a great night's sleep," dermatologist Dr. Howard Murad told the Los Angeles Times. (credit:Alamy)
You'll Eat Less(11 of19)
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Both experts and scientific data have long connected lack of sleep with increased hunger and weight gain -- and now a recent study has quantified the phenomenon. The findings, presented last month at an American Heart Association meeting, suggest that otherwise healthy people may eat more than 500 additional calories a day when they're sleep deprived, the Huffington Post reported when the study first came out. (credit:Alamy)
You'll Make Better Decisions(12 of19)
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Stumped? You may want to sleep on it.A study published last year in the Journal of Sleep Research found that people make smarter calls after a good night's sleep. The researchers asked 54 young adults to play a card game aimed to imitate casino gambling. Those who were well-rested made decisions that resulted in greater winnings four times more often than those who were sleep deprived -- and they had a firmer grasp on the rules."This provides support for what Mom and Dad have always advised," lead author and psychologist Rebecca Spencer, of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said in a statement. "There is something to be gained from taking a night to sleep on it when you're facing an important decision. We found that the fact that you slept makes your decisions better." (credit:Alamy)
You Can Ease Bad Memories(13 of19)
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If you're sorting through a painful memory, try giving it a rest.One small study last year found that sleep might help to take the edge off difficult emotional experiences that happen during your waking hours."The dream stage of sleep, based on its unique neurochemical composition, provides us with a form of overnight therapy, a soothing balm that removes the sharp edges from the prior day's emotional experiences," senior author Matthew Walker, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at UC Berkeley said in a statement.But remember we're talking a solid eight-hours of shuteye -- too much sleep may be a sign of depression. (credit:Alamy)
You Could Learn Better(14 of19)
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You may be conditioned to think that the best way to learn is to stay up all night cramming, but the truth is that you'd be better off to get some sleep.Several studies have linked rest with increased performance on learning-related tasks, and now a new study has found that the timing of sleep may matter, too. The researchers asked more than 200 people to memorize related words (such as "fire and smoke") and unrelated words (think: "insect and truth"). When later tested for recall, those who slept just after learning performed better than those who went a whole day before sleeping. (credit:Alamy)
You Can Be More Organized(15 of19)
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Ever notice how you can read the same paragraph over and over again when you're tired, without ever really retaining anything? That same phenomenon can result in your home or work-space becoming cluttered, explains Robert Oexman, D.C., director of the Sleep to Live Institute in Joplin, Mo. When humans are sleepy, they can lack the focus and drive to stay on task long enough to keep things orderly."Sleep-deprived people can't focus very well," he told The Huffington Post. "A lot of things are cluttered in their lives and they find themselves less organized." (credit:Alamy)
You'll Have A Better Sex Life(16 of19)
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It's the oldest excuse in the book: "Honey, I'm too tired." And while there's certainly some truth to being too exhausted to have sex, Oexman believes there's something deeper at work here. Chronic sleep deprivation can take a mental toll that affects how people perceive their own attractiveness and, in turn, sexual desire."They don't just not feel like it," Oexman says. "They really don't feel like it. They don't feel good about themselves." (credit:Alamy)
You'll Exercise Better(17 of19)
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Too wiped to hit the gym after work? The culprit may actually be your sleep habits, not the stress of your job. "Work should not wear you out," Oexman says -- you may be mentally exhausted, but, if you're working a desk job, you shouldn't be physically exhausted, as well. So if you feel like you just can't do it, consider upping your hours of shuteye each night.Added bonus: sleep can actually be a boon to your athletic ability. One study published last year found a correlation between increased sleep and improved performance in elite college basketball players. "Intuitively many players and coaches know that rest and sleep are important, but it is often the first to be sacrificed," study author Cheri Mah said in a statement. "Healthy and adequate sleep hasn't had the same focus as other areas of training for peak performance."Some research also suggests that regular rest can aid with muscle memory, Oexman says, which helps you learn how to do all kinds of new tasks, like perfecting your golf swing. (credit:Alamy)
You'll Be Easier To Get Along With(18 of19)
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We all know a bad night's sleep can make us grumpy. And over time, that can take a real toll on your personality."People who don't sleep well tend to over-escalate a problem," Oexman says. In fact, one study even found that sleep deprived people could be more likely to blame other people and plan revenge against them. "Sleepier people seem to engage in counterfactual thinking that is more dissatisfied and perhaps more selfish," study author David Mastin, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, said in a statement. "It may be that the sleepier you are, the more likely your musings are to be angry thoughts about how others could have done better."So if you can't stop thinking how everyone else is to blame, you might want to pause to consider how many hours you've been clocking in bed each night. (credit:Alamy)
Your Immunity Will Be Boosted(19 of19)
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It's pretty much common sense that if you're rundown or exhausted, you'll be more susceptible to picking up a bad cold. But a recent study helped to explain that link further. As The Huffington Post reported when the findings were released:
Researchers found that the body's circadian clock controls an essential immune system gene in mice -- a gene that helps the body ward off bacteria and viruses. "People intuitively know that when their sleep patterns are disturbed, they are more likely to get sick," study author Erol Fikrig, professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Medicine, said in a press release. "It does appear that disruptions of the circadian clock influence our susceptibility to pathogens."
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For the two year dream control study, Prof Wiseman's team collected millions of dream reports from volunteers who downloaded the app more than 500,000 times.
The app works by using a motion detector to sense when a sleeper is dreaming and then playing a chosen "soundscape" that conjures up thoughts of a particular scene - for instance, a forest or the seaside.
"If someone chose the nature landscape then they were more likely to dream about greenery and flowers," said Prof Wiseman.
"In contrast, if they selected the beach soundscape then they were more likely to dream about the sun beating down on their skin.
"Having positive dreams helps people wake-up in a good mood, and boosts their productivity. We have now discovered a way of giving people sweet dreams, and this may also form the basis for a new type of therapy to help those suffering from certain psychological problems, such as depression."
People who are depressed dream about five times more than average, he said.
"One of the most effective ways of curing depression is to stop depressive dreaming, but you can't maintain that kind of therapy," Prof Wiseman added.
"Its possible we might be able to do stuff during the night that's useful during the day."
Check out the top 10 sleep tips:
Ten Top Sleep Tips
Bedtime routine(01 of10)
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Build time into your day for a bedtime routine-we are more like dimmer switches than ‘on-off switches’ so we need time to unwind. This may include a warm bath, a hot milky drink/chamomile tea and listening to some relaxing music or an audio book. (credit:Alamy)
Pull your socks up(02 of10)
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Wear socks to bed. Cold feet = a poor night's sleep. Due to the fact that they have the poorest circulation, the feet often feel cold before the rest of the body and studies have shown that wearing socks reduces night awakenings. (credit:Alamy)
Use sunlight to set your body clock(03 of10)
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As soon as you get up in the morning, go outside and get some fresh air for 10 minutes. The bright sunlight (or any bright light) tells your body’s natural biological clock that it’s time to wake up and that same clock will then be set to tell your body it’s time to go to sleep about 14-16 hours later. (credit:Alamy)
Keep regular(04 of10)
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Don't change your bedtime. You should go to bed and wake up at about the same time each day, even on the weekends! This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning. (credit:Alamy)
Bed linen(05 of10)
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Change your bedding once a week and dust regularly. Fresh crisp sheets will help you get a better night’s sleep and clearing excess dust can help minimise any irritation in the airways, which could disrupt sleep. Review your bed linen for a better night’s sleep and choose sheets that feel comfortable against your skin. Research carried out by Lenor has shown that 74% of people surveyed slept drastically better on freshly washed bed sheets. (credit:Alamy)
Stay cool(06 of10)
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If you're too warm it can lead to a fitful night's sleep. Your body works hard to regulate your temperature while you're asleep, so help it along with cool, breathable cottons and keep the room cool at 16-18 degrees centigrade. If you share your bed and like different temperatures consider buying two separate duvets. (credit:Alamy)
Exercise to sleep(07 of10)
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Regular exercisers have better quality sleep. Aerobic exercise in particular has a significant impact on sleep particularly when it’s done in daylight so try to integrate exercise into your life by moving throughout the day eg getting off the bus one stop early, taking a walk in your lunch break etc. (credit:Alamy)
Set yourself a technology cut off time(08 of10)
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Computers, mobiles, smart phones and TVs all over stimulate our minds and ruin sleep, so try to turn them off at around 9pm. Where possible keep them out of the bedroom. (credit:Alamy)
Room and bed sheet fragrance(09 of10)
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Fragrances can set the tone of the room and generate a calming effect which will induce better quality deep sleep leaving you more rested, energetic and alert the next morning. Filling the bedroom with lavender or chamomile scents around an hour before bedtime will create the proper atmosphere for relaxation, sleep or romance. Try washing your sheets in fragrant Lenor fabric softener or alternatively place a few drops of relaxing aromatherapy oils on your pillow. (credit:Alamy)
Lights out(10 of10)
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Sleep in complete darkness or as close to that as you can. There also should be as little light in the bathroom as possible if you get up in the middle of the night. As soon as you turn on the light, your body will immediately cease all production of the important sleep aid melatonin which regulates the sleep-wake cycle. (credit:Alamy)
The full moon's link with dreams was also detected last year by neuroscientists at the University of Basel in Switzerland.
They too found that people dreams were especially strange around the time of the full moon.
"That's something we weren't looking for - it's completely bizarre," said Prof Wiseman.
The Swiss scientists theorised that sleep was disturbed by the full moon because of our evolutionary past.