Did Ancient People Wander Through a Mystical World Each Night? As the Greeks attempted to understand sleep, they created stories to explain dreams and the relative unconscious state of sleep.The Art of Providing Anesthesia in Greek Mythology: Hypnos worked with other gods to produce certain types of dreams, perhaps scary ones featuring beasts or exciting fantasy stories.From Hypnos to Hamlet to Zombies, a Look at Our Obsession With Sleep and Death: Sleep and death, both unconscious states, have long been sources of fascination in human culture.Here are some more resources for those who are interested in learning more about who Hypnos was: Hypnos visited people to help ease them into a state of rest, and he hid from the sun during the day, writes . Greek mythology depicts Hypnos as gentle and benevolent, bringing restorative sleep to mortals. He is said to follow his mother, Nyx, the goddess of night, up into the sky after the sun has set. He’s often depicted as a young man, with wings on his shoulders or brows. The cave was devoid of light and sound as well.Īccording to TheOi Project, Hypnos lived in Erebos, which was the land of eternal darkness. Hypnos’s bed was made out of ebony, and hypnotic plants grew plentifully at the entrance to the cave. The river Lethe originated in this cave, and it’s also the place where day and night met. Hypnos is usually depicted as living in the underworld in a big cave. But if someone needs help easing into slumber, a few stories from Greek mythology might be just the thing to bring sweet dreams. Of course, tucked into bed on a comfortable mattress, with soft blankets and fluffy pillows, sleep likely comes pretty easily. Hypnos is generally considered to be a benevolent god who helped mortals sleep. As one studies Greek mythology, they may learn about Hypnos, who was the god of sleep.

Hypnos greek mythology