We've all had our share of nightmares. Hey, they're just a natural part of life! But sometimes a nightmare is actually more than just a nightmare. If you're experiencing them frequently or severely (or frequentlyand severely), there could be something bigger at play. Here are 17 signs your bad dreams could indicate something much, much more serious than a series of random mental images.
Frequent nightmares are a possible symptom of panic disorder, schizophrenia, dissociative disorder, and borderline personality disorder. But nightmares are most commonly associated with the big bugaboos of mental health: clinical depression and clinical anxiety.Among adults with clinical depression, 11.4 percent reported having nightmares, while, among those with clinical anxiety, that number jumps to a whopping 17.1 percent.
While bad dreams can arise from countless factors, scientists have doubled down on how they relate to post-traumatic stress disorder.And their findings have been astonishing: one study out the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine revealed that 90 percent (!) of people who experienced PTSD had reoccurring nightmares.
Nowadays, nightmares are one of the symptoms used to diagnose PTSD. And, yes, many people have nightmares associated with their trauma—but that's not always the case. According to one study published inBehavioral Sleep Medicine, 60 percent of PTSD victims reported suffering from nightmares prior to their trauma, suggesting that having nightmares could make someone prone to the condition.
Have you checked the warning labels on some of your medication bottles? It's very common for many medications to list nightmares as a possible side-effect.A good rule of thumb: any medication that influences the neurotransmitters in the brain—like antidepressants or mood stabilizers—has the ability to negatively affect your dreams. But blood pressure meds, sleep aids, allergy meds, and steroids can cause them, too. Read your labels, folks.
In a study of university undergraduates, researchers at theCanadian Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicinefound that 17.8 percent of students believed that food caused their dreams to be more bizarre or disturbing. And get this: those undergrads are on to something.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, when you eat before bed, your metabolism is boosted, signaling your brain to be more active. And since the dreaming stage of sleep happens while your brain is at its most active, if you're dreaming more, you also may be experiencing more bad dreams during that time. In other words: Stop eating right before you hit the hay.
It's a vicious cycle. Nightmares can cause you sleep less, but sleeping less can also cause nightmares. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that 17.1 percent of those with frequent insomnia reported having frequent nightmares as well when able to sleep. When you're not getting adequate REM sleep every night, your brain ends up becoming overactive during the few moments you do experience REM sleep, heightening the amount of bad dreams you have.
Loss of sleep might not be the only thing increasing your bad dreams, however. If you are getting enough sleep, but experiencing breathing complications such as sleep apnea, you may still have increased nightmares.
Astudy of sleep apnea patients, published in theSleep Medicine Journal, revealedthat the patients also suffering from nightmares had a higher severity of sleep apnea during the REM cycle: 91 percent of those patients who agreed to undergo treatment therapy for sleep apnea reported experiencing less nightmares.
While sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep issues, your nightmares could be pointing to any number of problems, like sleep paralysis, restless leg syndrome, or even narcolepsy.
You also might be experiencing an actual nightmare disorder. (Don't worry: the condition sounds more terrifying than it is.) Symptoms of a nightmare disorder include repeated awakening from intense, threatening dreams, alertness upon awakening, and frequent nightmares not associated with any other issue. Nightmare disorder is most common in children below the age of 10, but about 4 percent of adults still suffer from the disorder.
If you're a fan of horror flicks, sorry, but you should refrain from having any marathons after dark.A study conducted by theInternational Association for the Study of Dreamsconcluded that media has an outside influence on dreams—and that those who watched violent movies before bed were more likely to experience violent dreams.
While you should already avoid snacking before bed, if you can't help it, at the very least reconsider what you snack on: namely, dairy. OneCanadian Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicinestudy found that participants mentioned dairy most often in association with disturbing dreams. Lactose intolerance is one of the most common food allergies—one that often goes undiagnosed—with 65 percent of the population having a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy. So, if you suffer from nightmares, cut out the cheese plates and ice cream.
A sharp rise in body temperature could be the answer behind your sudden nightmares. The amygdala inside your brain—most associated with negative emotions like terror and anger—can be thrown for a loop when your body is overheating. This over-activation of the amygdala, which is already quite active during REM sleep, can cause an increase in intense fear-responses while you're dreaming. Hey, look: An excuse to call out sick tomorrow!
Most major shifts in life bring come with their fair share of stress and anxiety, no matter if it's a good change or a bad one. An Oxford Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute study—and this surely won't surprise you a bit, but it's always good to have scientific confirmation—found that higher levels of worry and stress correlated with an increase in nightmares. Out of all the factors studied—including worry, psychotic behavior, alcohol use, and depersonalization—worry was the strongest factor associated with nightmare occurrence.
Take a look at what and how much you're putting inside your body. OneAlcohol and Drug Recovery Center study found that those who abuse substances are five toten times more likely to experience sleep disorders or disturbances. Why? Simple: most substances disrupt REM sleep. Continuous abuse and sleep disturbances causes the body to go for a long period of time without deep sleep. And deprivation of deep sleep comes with an accumulation of nightmares.
While relying on substances can send nightmare frequency through the roof, quitting those substances cold turkey can have the same effect. For example, if you drink an excessive amount of alcohol daily and then stop or reduce the amount significantly, you can develop Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS). One of the most prominent symptoms of AWS is nightmares, which can exacerbate over two to three days after withdrawal—and then continue for weeks.
As you get older, sleep patterns change. Many elderly people experience sleep disturbance, but telltale signs of major health risks you might develop when older can usually be seen with nightmare-suffering earlier in life.
When experiencing nightmares, many also experience REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), which is where people physically "act out" their nightmares with violent arm or leg movements. One University of Toronto neuroscientist found that more than 80 percent of those with RBD eventually developed a neurological disease, especially Parkinson's disease. The research found that the group of cells responsible for REM sleep appeared damaged in those with RBD, eventually spreading to damage the areas of the brain that can cause Parkinson's or other neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia.
Nightmares can be linked to a variety of health problems, including the number one leading cause of death in the world: heart disease. A 2003 Netherlands Journal of Medicine study found that the percentage of irregular heartbeats and spasmodic chest pain among elderly women and men who experienced frequent nightmares was much higher than those who rarely or never experienced nightmares. During nightmares, our heart rate increases and blood pressure rises. This accumulation over time can lead to more heart problems later down the road.
A Sleep Research Society study found that amongst patients suffering with burn pain, 30 percent of their dreams had associated pain sensations. Another study published in the Open Pain Journal found that patients with chronic back pain reported more pain sensation dreams than those who did not suffer from chronic back pain. Chronic pain sufferers are also more likely to get less sleep, which is a reoccurring factor in increased nightmares.
Most mental health disorders have the possibility for associated nightmare symptoms. Unsurprisingly, nightmares are also linked with increased suicidal thoughts, attempts, and death by suicide. The longer someone suffers with nightmares, the greater the risk of suicide is. In onePsychiatry Research Journal study, researchers found that those who experienced weekly or monthly nightmares reported higher levels of hopelessness than those who reported yearly or no nightmares. Hopelessness was found to have a major contributing role in an increased risk of suicide. And to be able to spot any possible signs, learn all about theseSuicide Warning Signs Hidden in Plain Sight.
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FAQs
What does bad dreams indicate? ›
Nightmares can be triggered by many factors, including: Stress or anxiety. Sometimes the ordinary stresses of daily life, such as a problem at home or school, trigger nightmares. A major change, such as a move or the death of a loved one, can have the same effect.
Do bad dreams mean good things? ›Some bad dreams can actually represent good changes in your life. For example, death in nightmares and dreams symbolizes a new beginning. If you dream that you are dying, perhaps you are going through an important personal change in your real life.
Can a dream be a warning? ›In one study, a third to a half of the 1,000 surveyed reported having “anomalous” dreams. Many of us have premonitions, warning “flashes” that alert us to an unseen danger or a fortuitous event. Perhaps we dream about a plane crash and cancel our flight.
What is the most common nightmare? ›- Your teeth falling out. The first common nightmare on our list is dreaming about your teeth falling out. ...
- Being chased. Another common nightmare on our list is being chased. ...
- Falling. Another common nightmare many have is that of falling. ...
- Running late. ...
- Unable to find a toilet.
Problems with friends, family, school, or work can trigger intense dreams as can big events like getting married or buying a house. Stressed caused by traumatic events, such as a death of a loved one, sexual abuse, or a car accident can also cause vivid dreams.
What are the rarest dreams? ›Most experts believe that lucid dreams are the rarest type of dreams. While dreaming, you are conscious that you are dreaming but you keep on dreaming. According to researchers, 55 percent of people experience these types of dreams at least one time in their life.
When do bad dreams start? ›Nightmares can start when the child is about two years old, and reach a peak between the ages of three and six years. About one quarter of children have at least one nightmare every week. Nightmares usually occur later in the sleep cycle, between 4am and 6am. Try to be supportive and understanding.
Can you be traumatized by a dream? ›It is possible, however, that some-thing is going wrong in the brains of individuals who experience a lot of anxiety, so that normal emotional processing during dreaming fails, says Tore Nielsen, director of the Dream and Nightmare Laboratory at Sacred Heart Hospital in Montreal.
Do dreams reveal hidden truths? ›"People tend to think that dreams reveal hidden emotions and beliefs and they often find them to be more meaningful than thoughts they might have when they are awake," Morewedge tells WebMD. "But we also found that people don't attribute equal meaning to all dreams."
Do dreams have a message? ›Our dreams heal us, inform us, warn us, and bring us spiritual wisdom. Transforming the symbols in a dream from their raw form to meaning is an alchemical process. Sometimes, the message from a dream is not immediately known, but if we can be patient and give them time, they will slowly reveal themselves.
Are your dreams telling you something? ›
Dreams tell you what you really know about something, what you really feel. They point you toward what you need for growth, integration, expression, and the health of your relationships to person, place, and thing. They can help you fine-tune your direction and show you your unfinished business.
What is the most scariest nightmare? ›- #8: Being Late or Missing an Important Event. ...
- #7: Unprepared for or Failing a Test. ...
- #6: Being Trapped. ...
- #5: Dying. ...
- #4: Losing Teeth. ...
- #3: Being Naked in Public. ...
- #2: Falling. ...
- #1: Being Chased or Attacked. It's dark, you can't move, and someone, or something, is coming.
However, the presence of nightmares not only influences the development of PTSD but also accelerates the progression of PTSD following trauma exposure. 9,10 Subjects who reported nightmares prior to trauma exhibited more severe PTSD symptoms after being exposed to a traumatic event than those who did not.
Should you wake someone up from a nightmare? ›And although some may last a while or remain in your memory during waking hours, bad dreams are generally nothing to worry about. Now, if the person lashes out, bangs his head against the wall or does anything else physically dangerous to himself or you, it's probably a good idea to gently wake him.
How do I stop having nightmares? ›- Setting a regular sleep schedule. ...
- Cutting out caffeine, alcohol, and cigarettes (especially late in the day).
- Exercising during the day — but don't work out right before going to bed.
- Relaxing before falling asleep.
While researchers still aren't sure what exactly causes dreaming, it's a relief to know that remembering your dreams is a common, healthy thing. It doesn't mean you aren't sleeping well, and it definitely doesn't mean you're crazy or “not normal.”
What is the most common dream people have? ›Researchers have found that the seven most common dreams involve being attacked or chased, being late, loved ones dying, falling, flying, school, and sex.
What are dreams that feel real? ›Vivid dreams are intense dreams that linger in your mind and feel similar to real-life memories. They arise from the normal REM cycles the brain goes through in a typical good night's sleep. Yet unlike most dreams, vivid dreams can feel so intense that they affect your mental health and wellbeing.
Do blind people dream? ›Although their visual dream content is reduced, other senses are enhanced in dreams of the blind. A dreaming blind person experiences more sensations of sound, touch, taste, and smell than sighted people do. Blind people are also more likely to have certain types of dreams than sighted people.
What is it called when you have a dream and then it happens? ›Precognitive dreams are the most widely reported occurrences of precognition. Usually, a dream or vision can only be identified as precognitive after the putative event has taken place. When such an event occurs after a dream, it is said to have "broken the dream".
Can you go back into a dream? ›
Dreams occur during REM sleep. Unfortunately for those of us who would like to remember our dreams, the frontal lobes, where most memories are formed and stored, are inactive during REM sleep. If you really want to resume and remember a good dream, just lie still when you wake up.
What does it mean when you wake up crying? ›Mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression, tend to be the biggest reason adults wake up crying. If you haven't been diagnosed with a disorder, consider waking up crying as an important symptom to discuss with a doctor.
What does it mean when you cry in your sleep? ›Why Do People Cry in Their Sleep? Crying in sleep can result from nightmares, sleep terrors, and sometimes, you can even cry while dreaming. For the latter, this emotion often happens when the dreamer experiences a dream so intense, it feels real.
Why do people scream in their sleep? ›REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and sleep terrors are two types of sleep disorders that cause some people to shout during sleep. Sleep terrors, also called night terrors, usually involve frightening screams, thrashing, and kicking. It's hard to wake someone having a sleep terror.
What is a PTSD nightmare like? ›When someone experiences nightmares from PTSD, they can seem very real to them. They might feel like they are back in a situation that is not safe, the traumatic experience that caused the disruption in the first place. Symptoms can keep them awake or unable to fall asleep for long periods of time.
How do I sleep again after a nightmare? ›- Use the 4-7-8 breathing technique or other mediation technique to slow your heart rate and breathing.
- Leave the room or try sleeping somewhere else.
- Listen to music that makes you feel calm.
- Focus your attention on something else for a few minutes.
In other words, dreams affect our physical and mental health the same as waking experience does. And, likewise, dreams can reveal truths about both your mental health and your physical health. Nightmares may indicate that you're sick, for example.
What is your dream trying to tell you? ›“Dreams are often about identity, because we're figuring out who we are and what we need, and the beliefs and perspectives we hold,” says Wallace. “If you feel unfulfilled, undervalued or not the person you want to be in waking life, your dreams will often reflect that.
Who says dreams are messages from the deep? ›"Dreams are messages from the deep." Those are the first words that appear on the screen in Denis Villeneuve's 2021 film, Dune, a cinematic adaptation of the iconic 1965 sci-fi book by Frank Herbert.
When you dream about someone are they thinking of you? ›While dreaming about someone usually means they are thinking of you, dreaming of the same person over and over again could also mean that they have thought of you so much that when you dream about them, it's just another instance where that thought enters your head.
Can your dreams tell the future? ›
At this time there is little scientific evidence suggesting that dreams can predict the future. Some research suggests that certain types of dreams may help predict the onset of illness or mental decline in the dream, however.
Should you pay attention to your dreams? ›Paying attention to your dreams can provide rich insights into the issues that are playing on your mind. Dreams are the brain's way of working on important issues, problems or emotions that are leftover from when we're awake.
Can you communicate with someone in your dreams? ›They Answered. Researchers say two-way communication is possible with people who are asleep and dreaming. Specifically, with people who are lucid dreaming — that is, dreaming while being aware you're dreaming.
What does it mean to hear voices in your dream? ›Voices as you fall asleep or wake up – these are to do with your brain being partly in a dreaming state. The voice might call your name or say something brief. You might also see strange things or misinterpret things you can see. These experiences usually stop as soon as you are fully awake.
Why do we dream about certain people? ›When you dream about people you know, Stout explained that you're not actually dreaming about them. Rather, the people in your dreams actually "represent aspects of yourself." Stout explained further, writing, "If you dream about a close friend, then think about their strongest character traits.
What happens to your body during a nightmare? ›Sleep expert Dr. Michael Breus tells Bustle that nightmares can increase blood pressure and heart rate. In addition, they can also prompt sweating and quicken our breathing (via Psychology Today). This can all be traced back to the amygdala, which experiences a boost in brain activity during a nightmare.
Should you share your dreams? ›This echoes our recent research at the Swansea University Sleep Laboratory which shows that sharing your dreams and listening to other people's dreams can help to improve your empathy levels.
Does sleeping with music affect your dreams? ›In the study, more than one-fourth of those who had experienced music dreams said they had created new melodies while dreaming. Bottom line: Whether you're trying to get ready for bedtime, fend off insomnia, or tap into emotionally positive dreams, the results of these recent studies should be music to your ears.
What should you not eat at night? ›- Chocolate. High levels of caffeine in chocolate make it a poor choice for late-night snacking. ...
- Cheese. While cheese is generally considered a comfort food, it is actually one of the worst foods to eat before bed. ...
- Curry. ...
- Ice cream. ...
- Crisps. ...
- Cherries. ...
- Raw honey. ...
- Bananas.
Common Nightmares and Their Meanings
Being lost: confusion or conflict that you need to address. Someone chasing or attacking you: too much stress in your life. Being trapped: feeling powerless in a situation. Dying: loss or the need for a fresh start.
What should I eat before bed to avoid nightmares? ›
There are a few things you can eat which won't disturb your sleep. The trick is to look out for melatonin or tryptophan, which can help you drift off instead of giving you nightmares. Sources of this include turkey, cheese and bananas.
What do violent dreams mean? ›Decoding your violent dreams
If you have a violent dream, it could also represent some particularly intense feelings, especially if the dreams involve somebody you know. Violent dreams can be due to past traumatic experiences, or simply because violence has been on your mind.
Nightmares can be triggered by many factors, including: Stress or anxiety. Sometimes the ordinary stresses of daily life, such as a problem at home or school, trigger nightmares. A major change, such as a move or the death of a loved one, can have the same effect.
What is the difference between a nightmare and a night terror? ›Sleep terrors differ from nightmares. The dreamer of a nightmare wakes up from the dream and may remember details, but a person who has a sleep terror episode remains asleep. Children usually don't remember anything about their sleep terrors in the morning.
Do dreams actually mean anything? ›Do dreams mean anything? Alan Eiser, a psychologist and a clinical lecturer at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, says dreams can be “highly meaningful,” because they “deal with the sort of personal conflicts and emotional struggles that people are experiencing in their daily lives.”
What are the 3 types of dreams? ›- 1) Daydream – Daydreaming is classified as a level of consciousness between sleep and wakefulness. ...
- 2) False Awakening Dreams – I know this has happened to me several times in the morning. ...
- 3) Lucid Dreams – Lucid dreams occur when you realize you are dreaming.
- Establish a regular, relaxing routine before bedtime. A consistent bedtime routine is important. ...
- Offer reassurances. ...
- Talk about the dream. ...
- Rewrite the ending. ...
- Put stress in its place. ...
- Provide comfort measures. ...
- Use a night light.
This definition helps distinguish nightmares from bad dreams1: while both involve disturbing dream content, only a nightmare causes you to wake up from sleep. Nightmares are vivid dreams that may be threatening, upsetting, bizarre, or otherwise bothersome.
Do dreams try to tell you something? ›Dreams tell you what you really know about something, what you really feel. They point you toward what you need for growth, integration, expression, and the health of your relationships to person, place, and thing.
Do dreams have a message? ›Our dreams heal us, inform us, warn us, and bring us spiritual wisdom. Transforming the symbols in a dream from their raw form to meaning is an alchemical process. Sometimes, the message from a dream is not immediately known, but if we can be patient and give them time, they will slowly reveal themselves.
What are the 7 most common dreams? ›
7 Most Common Dreams
Researchers have found that the seven most common dreams involve being attacked or chased, being late, loved ones dying, falling, flying, school, and sex. Let's take a closer look at some of the most common dreams and what dream interpretation books have to say about them.
False awakening is defined as, “a vivid and convincing dream about awakening from sleep, while the dreamer in reality continues to sleep.” In contrast to normal dreams, which are often nonsensical fantasies, false awakenings are usually completely mundane.
What is it called when you have a dream and then it happens? ›Precognitive dreams are the most widely reported occurrences of precognition. Usually, a dream or vision can only be identified as precognitive after the putative event has taken place. When such an event occurs after a dream, it is said to have "broken the dream".
What is a dream that feels real? ›Lucid dreams are when you know that you're dreaming while you're asleep. You're aware that the events flashing through your brain aren't really happening. But the dream feels vivid and real. You may even be able to control how the action unfolds, as if you're directing a movie in your sleep.
What drugs cause nightmares? ›- 1) Blood pressure medications – beta blockers.
- 2) Antidepressants – SSRIs. ...
- 3) Sleep aids and allergy medications – antihistamines. ...
- 4) Steroids – prednisone and methylprednisolone. ...
- 5) Alzheimer's disease medications – donepezil & rivastigmine.
When it happens during REM sleep — the stage during which we dream — it's caused by "motor breakthrough" of dream speech: One's mouth and vocal cords, usually inactive when we're sleeping, briefly get switched on, and words spoken by one's character in a dream are spoken out loud.
Can you be traumatized by a dream? ›It is possible, however, that some-thing is going wrong in the brains of individuals who experience a lot of anxiety, so that normal emotional processing during dreaming fails, says Tore Nielsen, director of the Dream and Nightmare Laboratory at Sacred Heart Hospital in Montreal.
Can taking vitamin D cause nightmares? ›Therefore, decreased serum vitamin D levels and decreased calcium intake may be associated with the development of nightmares and bad dreams indirectly through their association with the psychological symptoms and MSP.
What happens to your body during a nightmare? ›Sleep expert Dr. Michael Breus tells Bustle that nightmares can increase blood pressure and heart rate. In addition, they can also prompt sweating and quicken our breathing (via Psychology Today). This can all be traced back to the amygdala, which experiences a boost in brain activity during a nightmare.