Nightmares involving murder, apocalypse, drowning and your teeth falling out are some of the most common subjects – however, they shouldn’t necessarily give reason to be worried or scared.
Leading dream expert and bestselling author, Theresa Cheung, has worked with bed retailer, Happy Beds, to reveal four of the most common nightmares and the reasons we have them.
“Every single dream is unique and unusual. There is no such thing as a ‘usual’ nightmare, even ones with commonly reported nightmare themes,” she says.
“These dreams mean that there are feelings or situations in your current waking life which you are having difficulty fully processing. You should not fear nightmares. Think of nightmares as a form of tough love.”
When it comes to the meaning of these dreams, it’s a lot less dramatic than you may think.
“Your dreaming mind is using shocking images because it knows you are more likely to recall them and ponder their meaning than everyday dreams.”
Theresa explained what four of the most common nightmares can mean:
- Murder
A dream that involves a murder of some description can mean an unexpected change is being forced onto you.
- Apocalypse
If you have a dream that involves the apocalypse it can be a sign that your subconscious feels that everything is shifting in your life and it’s time for a fresh start.
- Teeth falling out
There could be more than one reason that you’re having nightmares about your teeth falling out. It could mean that you’re concerned about ageing or your appearance, or even that you have unexpressed anger inside.
- Drowning
Dreams about drowning are very common and can be disturbing, however, they’re usually a sign that you’re feeling emotionally overwhelmed.
Whilst they may not be a cause for immediate concern, there are things you can do to help you avoid them.
Katherine Hall, a psychologist in sleep from Somnus Therapy, offered five useful tips to help avoid nightmares:
- Consistency is key – You should keep your bedtime and wake time as consistent as possible. Consistency is likely to result in more restful and stable sleep, preventing the likelihood of a nightmare-inducing REM rebound from sleep deprivation.
- Daily relaxation practice – Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) can be incredibly useful in helping you to get to sleep and reducing the stress around not being able to sleep. PMR is a form of mindfulness that guides you through tensing each muscle group then relaxing them, to promote a sense of complete body and mind relaxation.
- Expressive writing – Expressive writing has been shown to enable the writer to better regulate their emotions, as well as helping the writer break free from the endless mental cycling of brooding or rumination. Acknowledging your emotions and writing them down reduces the need for your mind to constantly fight and be in battle with any negative and stressful thoughts.
- Avoid alcohol – Alcohol is a REM sleep blocker and causes an overall reduction in REM sleep – also known as dream sleep. When the alcohol starts to wear off it’s not uncommon to experience really vivid dreams or nightmares.
- Seek treatment – When nightmares become a frequent occurrence and recurring, speaking with a professional may be the best option to help discover and treat the underlying issue.
To find out more about the most common dream meanings, click here.
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