Our dreams have fascinated, and at times, scared us since childhood. Don’t you agree? But have you ever wondered what hidden messages they may hold? What if we were to tell you that carefully analyzing your dreams can give you signals about your health?
The meaning of dreams has always been the subject of discussion. People have speculated upon different themes present in dreams and have assigned varying meanings to them.
These speculations have shifted over time, but modern studies are providing more concrete evidence.
Therefore, after compiling the results from various studies, this blog has put together a list outlining how your dreams can give you information about your health.
Let’s get started!
1. Nightmares
All of us have had them, and we all wish that we didn’t.
Nightmares are not entirely abnormal experiences. Studies show that various things in our lives can trigger them, and it’s important to know about the harmful things that could be causing frequent nightmares.
Dream interpretation is not completely accurate, but the science is relatively clear when it comes to nightmares.
- Sleep deprivation is a common cause of nightmares. So, if you’re not sleeping enough, your body couldn’t give you a clearer message!
- Stress and fatigue are also key triggers for nightmares. You should examine your lifestyle carefully to see if you’ve been over-exerting yourself. Even activities that result from stress can cause nightmares, such as overeating.
So don’t rule out anything until your nightmares reduce! As you can see, dreams and mental health are closely related, and poor dreams signal poor mental well-being.
- Bipolar disorder should not be left unconsidered. It may cause weird nightmares, so it’s a good idea to take up frequent nightmares with your doctor. After all, better be safe than sorry!
- Sudden drops in blood sugar can also cause bad dreams. This is relevant for people with some form of diabetes. While there are ways to tell if you have dips in blood sugar during the day, nightmares may be a good indicator for when you’re asleep.
- Fever, fever, fever! If you’re ill, your mind will sometimes create the weirdest dreams while you spike a fever. At this point, it’s time to pay closer attention to what your body is struggling with.
2. Are you able to recall your dreams more than usual?
You might be a shallow sleeper, waking up multiple times during the night. This might seem odd to you since you might be thinking that you’d remember if this happens. However, you might be waking up momentarily before falling back to sleep.
So, if you’re suddenly impressed by your dream memory, consider taking part in a sleep study to check your sleeping patterns. It may just be that you’re not sleeping too well.
3. Are you dreaming a lot?
Didn’t think you’d find this in the list, did you? Your health is perfectly fine in most cases, and you’re better off not thinking too much about this. But, if you’re dreaming even during short naps, something could be up.
Experts say that you could be suffering from narcolepsy. This is a condition that causes you to feel tired and exhausted throughout the day. So, if your frequent dreams coincide with tiring days, it’s time to see a doctor.
4. Anxious dreams explained
Are you dreaming of your teeth falling out? This and many other common anxiety-related symbols can be identified in dreams.
If you see such bizarre things in your dreams, it may be your subconscious expressing the anxiety that’s building up inside of you.
Take some time to reflect upon your life and see if you can root something out that confirms your anxiety.
Often, dreams repeat aspects of our daily lives that we obsess over. So, if you keep seeing those same work ledgers at night, it’s your body telling you to take your foot off the gas. Your anxiety about excelling at work is spilling over into your sleep.
5. Are you being chased in your dreams?
There is no doubt that such a dream can be a terrifying experience. But such dreams are also some of the more common ones and may carry indications about your mental health.
Some experts infer that you may be running away from something in your actual life.
Be it running away from your feelings, thoughts, or relationships; your dreams can push you to work on these mental health challenges.
6. Successful pregnancies!
It’s no hidden fact that a woman seems to dream more as her pregnancy progresses. Strange and starkly abstract dreams often accompany this.
Some researchers looked into the dreaming behavior, and two separate studies found some strange correlations. Let’s find out what they are!
If you’re pregnant and are beginning to have scarier and more upsetting dreams, you may be in luck. Studies have shown lower cases of postpartum depression and shorter labor times in women who had the most bizarre dreams during the late stages of their pregnancies
This is surprising as most nightmarish dreams are linked to one or another health issue. On the other hand, such new research may just show that you’re boasting great health if you’re dreaming monstrosities in your sleep.
The bottom line
Interpreting dreams is no easy task, and even the most cutting-edge research doesn’t prove certain links between aspects of your dreams and your health.
This is not to say that the age-old desire, “interpret my dream”, cannot be fulfilled. Our list above has compiled studies from multiple sources so that you can use your dreams to gauge some aspects of your health.
None of such predictions come with a hundred percent certainty, but they may just be plausible enough for you to look deeper into yourself and see if there is something you can do to improve your health!
So don’t just disregard your dreams because they may hold the clues for a better life!
If you’re curious about dream meanings, check out this website or this link for more insight.
