Have you ever had a dream that was so peculiar that it left you in a state of stupor? You know one of those dreams that just seem so confusing that you wonder was I really dreaming? Let’s find out WHY you’re having these strange dreams..
We’ve all experienced the dream that has left us feeling very perplexed and confused. Sometimes we’re so confused that we run to the internet looking for a dream dictionary trying to figure out what exactly do our dreams mean. Often times, trying to figure out the meaning of these weird dreams is just as perplexing as actually having the weird dream.
While a weird dream every now and then happens, there are some of us that have weird dreams a lot. I mean frequently. Whether you know it or not, there are some bona fide reasons that you may be having weird dreams.
Reasons you are having weird dreams
The following are some reasons why your dreams may leave you scratching your head.
1: Stress
Have you been experiencing a lot of stress lately? Is the only time you get relief from anxiety and stressful emotions is when you lay your head on the pillow to go to sleep at night? If so, there’s a high chance that you’ll be having some weird dreams to make up for that stress and anxiety.
It’s been proven through many studies that people that are highly stressed are more likely to have nightmares, night terrors or weird complicated dreams. There is the belief that the dream world is where people work out all of the issues that they’re not able to deal with consciously during waking hours. If this is the case, it’s no wonder that stress can lead to very weird dreams.
So, if you don’t want to have a lot of night terrors or weird dreams you may want to consider reducing your stress levels. Consider taking a nice hot bath to relax your nerves or sipping on a hot cup of chamomile tea prior to going to bed. The more relaxed you are when you fall asleep the less likely you are to have weird dreams.
2: Watching weird stuff at night
Do you keep having dreams that you’re being abducted by aliens? Did you have a dream that you were being chased by a Tyrannosaurus Rex through the forest?
There may be a good reason why you’re having these types of dreams. If you spend your evenings watching the latest alien sci-fi flick or perhaps you decided to watch the movie Jumanji before you went to bed, it’s no wonder that you’re having weird dreams.
Studies have shown that the type of entertainment you indulge in prior to falling asleep can deeply impact your dream world. Thus, it may be best to stay away from watching TV shows and movies that evoke strong emotions prior to falling asleep.
So many people fall asleep to their televisions each night, and they don’t realize how influential their entertainment viewing habits are in regards to their dream world.
In all, if you don’t want to dream about zombies chasing you or fighting your way through a Hunger Games-like setting, try to limit your entertainment viewing prior to bedtime.
3: Consuming Spicy/Heavy Foods
Do you enjoy eating a spicy meal every now and then? Have you noticed that when you eat spicy foods you tend to have weird dreams? If so, you’re onto something. Studies have shown that eating spicy foods especially before bedtime is directly linked to a very active dream state. This is because spicy foods increase your body temperature making it more difficult to have a more restful sleep.
This goes for heavy meals as well. When you eat a heavy meal, especially before bedtime, your digestive system has to work harder to break down food. All of this extra work being performed by the digestive system during your sleeping time can result in you having more frequent and possibly weirder dreams.
4: Taking Sleep Supplements
There are many people that take sleep supplements such as melatonin to help them fall asleep easier and to maintain sleep throughout the night.
Little side note blue box area: IF you WANT crazy vivid dreams and you want to just experience the adventure of it all, then by all means TAKE melatonin supplements, you’ll fall asleep faster and your dreams will be crazy. Okay, on with the show.
If you are part of this group, it’s quite possible that those sleep supplements that you’re taking could be causing you to have very interesting dreams. Sleep supplements such as melatonin had been proven to make REM cycles more intense which results in more powerful, frequent dreams.
So, if you’ve been having a lot of really weird dreams lately, it may be because you’re doing something to cause it. No worries though, with a few changes in behavior prior to going to sleep, you can get your dream world under control.
It’s important to remember that dreams are often a subconscious reflection of your conscious reality. Whatever you are doing while awake can ultimately affect your sleep patterns and dream state.
