Yahoo News This Is Why Your Dreams Are So Vivid and Weird Right Now
If you want to trip yourself out, take a walk through the timeline of Twitter account Dreams of a New World (@newworlddreams.) Here, online psychotherapist Martha Crawford collects coronavirus-era stories. Not of how you're DIY-ing kombucha and picking your A-Level Spanish back up now that you're under effective house arrest – but of the globe's weird, vivid lock-down dreams.
The contents vary. An apocalypse pre-configured by an army of new moons in the sky; favourite authors setting up intensive care units; being pregnant and having a kidnapper try to steal your baby. The unifying reality, though? That these night time adventures feel darker, clearer and more alive than the dreamer is used to.
So, why are my dreams so weird in lock-down?
If your group WhatsApp chats have been lit up by dissections of the bizarre happenings your sub-conscious cooked up last night, know that you're not alone. Dr Guy Leschziner, consultant neurologist, sleep physician and author of The Nocturnal Brain (RRP £16.99, Simon & Schuster) theorises a number of explanations as to why these Strange Times are causing the nation's dreams to be so unhinged.
This refers exclusively to vivid, disconcerting dreams - not to night terrors or medical sleep issues. If you need help with those, speak to your GP.
'The first thing is that more people are waking up without an alarm, and so they are spending more time in rapid eye movement sleep (REM) sleep. We know that dream recall seems to be more concrete when you have a consolidated period of this sleep,' he explains. Essentially, more time in REM land means that you're more likely to remember that inappropriate sex dream about a colleague when you get to waking up.
'Another issue is that your dream imagery is undoubtedly impacted by your experiences over the previous day – and your emotional state. A lot of people, quite rightly, are anxious and frustrated at the moment. That's likely to play a role in what they dream about. Plus, if you are anxious, then your sleep is likely going to be less stable and so you are likely to wake up from REM sleep – and therefore recollect your dreams.'
Then, there's time. If you're not an essential worker or are not now trying to meld WFH with teaching the current Year 3 maths curriculum, you've got the luxury of extra hours with which to dissect your nocturnal wanderings. This can lead to you latching onto extra details – and so believing your dream to have been extra surreal.
For Hilda Burke, psychotherapist, couples therapist, and author of The Phone Addiction Workbook (RRP £13.99, Ulysses Press), another potential explanation is influential psychoanalyst Carl Jung's dream theory. Short story, this is that dreams compensate for something from your waking life. So, perhaps, via wild, thrilling dreams, your subconscious is making up for your 'bedroom-bathroom-kitchen-Sainsbury's-repeat' life.
Okay. So are weird lock-down dreams a problem?
No. 'One theory as to why we dream is that it's involved in emotional processing,' says Dr Leschziner. 'It might allow you to recall stuff from your life, but to cleanse it of its more significant emotional context.' The purpose of this, assumed by academics? To help you to make sense of the heavy stuff that's going on in your waking life. Essentially, your disconcerting dreams are completely standard. 'A few weird dreams or nightmares are a normal neurological response to the events we find ourselves in,' Dr Leschziner elaborates.
What can I do to ease my sketchy dreams?
If, however, you're finding your dreams distressing, there are strategies you can employ to blunt their cortisol-producing capabilities. 'Anything to reduce your anxiety can make your dreams less scary or vivid,' is Dr Leschziner's advice.
He recommends trying techniques that help to regulate your fight or flight response. Meditation, mindfulness or any relaxation therapy are all worth a try, as is maintaining a consistent sleep routine – going to sleep and waking up at roughly the same time each day.
While this won't alter their contents, Burke hopes to inspire you to journal about the scenarios that flit beneath your eyelids in the early hours. 'In doing this, you can make friends with your dreams – and maybe ask if there's something to be gleaned from them,' she says.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
According to the NHS website, the primary symptoms of coronavirus are:
A fever
A new, consistent cough
Other coronavirus symptoms that have been reported include:
Tiredness or fatigue
A headache
Shortness of breath
A loss of smell or taste
Muscle pain
What should you do if you have symptoms of coronavirus?
If you have symptoms of coronavirus you should use the NHS 111 Coronavirus service online. People are being urged to only call 111 if they cannot get help online.
To avoid infecting others, do not go to a GP surgery or pharmacy if you suspect you have coronavirus.
If you need urgent medical help that you cannot get online, call 111. In an life-threatening emergency call 999 for an ambulance.
Disclaimer: The information in this story is accurate as of the publication date. While we are attempting to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic continues to develop rapidly, so it's possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since publishing. For any concerns and latest advice, visit the World Health Organisation. If you're in the UK, the National Health Service can also provide useful information and support, while US users can contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
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