A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not fully understood, though they have been a topic of scientific, philosophical and religious interest throughout recorded history.Good, healthy sleep means feeling rested upon waking. It means not having chronic bad dreams or nightmares. … According to a group of French researchers writing in the Journal of Sleep Research, all people dream when they sleep, even people who think they don’t.