With temperatures rising in the UK, many Brits are struggling to get a good nights rest.
Experts have warned that a disturbed sleep can lead to vivid and horrible nightmares, making it harder for people to unwind during summer nights.
The most common nightmares often involve murder, the apocalypse, drowning, and teeth falling out – but experts have assured that these subjects shouldn’t leave you feeling frightened.
Leading dream expert, Theresa Cheung, has joined bed retailer Happy Beds to reveal the meaning behind the four most common nightmares.
She explained: “Every single dream is unique and unusual. There is no such thing as a ‘usual’ nightmare, even ones with commonly reported nightmare themes.
“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.
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“Your dreaming mind is using shocking images because it knows you are more likely to recall them and ponder their meaning than everyday dreams,” she added.
So, what do the four most common nightmares mean?
Murder
Theresa explained that a dream involving murder of some description can mean an unexpected change is being forced onto you.
The dream may symbolise the loss of self-control in your conscious life.
You may be holding back some of your anger or strong feelings that you are afraid to show to other people.
Apocalypse
A dream that involves the apocalypse represents something that is ending or shifting in your waking life, and it’s time for a fresh start.
These changes may be resurfacing your buried fears and concerns.
Apocalypse dreams can be triggered by problems you're facing in your consciousness, such as a break up, struggles at work, or losing a loved one.
Teeth falling out
There could be a few reasons that you’re having nightmares about your teeth falling out.
This may be because you're concerned about ageing or your appearance, or even that you have unexpressed anger inside.
A person may be experiencing some sort of social anxiety and fear of rejection.
This could be linked to issues with their identity, or concerns about their appearance when they are around other people.
Drowning
Dreams about drowning can be disturbing, but they are usually a sign that you’re feeling emotionally overwhelmed.
The feeling that we are stuck underwater relates to the intense emotions that can be threatening to our wellbeing.
These dreams are fairly common, and can be linked to a intense sense of responsibility – such as pressure at work or looming deadlines.
Nightmares are usually nothing to worry about, but they may interrupt your sleep which can cause heightened stress, irritability, and decreased creativity.
Katherine Hall, a psychologist in sleep from Somnus Therapy, has offered some useful tips to help avoid nightmares.
Consistency is key – 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 helpful for reducing stress. 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 – This can help you regulate your emotions, as well as break free from the endless mental cycle of rumination. Writing down emotions reduces the need for your mind to constantly fight and be in a battle with negative thoughts.
Avoid alcohol – Alcohol is an 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 common to experience really vivid dreams or nightmares.
Seek treatment – Speak to a professional if nightmares become a frequent occurrence – they can work with you to discover the underlying issue.
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