Unexpected changes in life, stressful work, and alterations in routine can significantly impact our dreams, making them bizarre, vivid, and memorable.
Unexpected changes in life, stressful work, and alterations in routine can all influence our dreams, making them strange, vivid, and more memorable.
Below are a few reasons why we experience bizarre dreams and how we can manage them.
Why Do Bizarre Dreams Occur?
Our bodies go through different stages of sleep each night. Most dreams occur during the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) phase, which happens about 90 minutes after you fall asleep. Dreams typically last for 10 to 20 minutes and can repeat multiple times during a sleep cycle. During this phase, levels of serotonin and norepinephrine—two hormones responsible for logical thinking and focus—decrease. As a result, your dreams can be quite chaotic, often straying far from reality, and are usually only realized upon waking.
Bizarre dreams during REM sleep.
Stephanie Stahl, MD, a sleep medicine physician at Indiana University, states that dreams during REM sleep are often strange, vivid, and emotionally charged.
The purpose of dreams remains a mystery to the scientific community, although there is some evidence explaining why you might have particularly bizarre dreams:
- You are processing new information. One study suggests that dreams play a role in processing information you encountered during the day, reinforcing memories and organizing new knowledge. Specifically, Dr. Stahl mentions that if you focus on a topic right before bedtime, it’s likely to appear in your dreams. “If you are obsessively watching news about Covid-19 before sleeping, you may have many dreams related to this content,” she says.
- You are working through your emotions. “There is evidence that dreams serve as a form of self-therapy,” says Alex Dimitriu, MD, a psychiatrist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine. “We form memories and process experiences, including emotions, while we sleep. REM sleep and dreaming are believed to be particularly important for emotional processing.” For instance, higher stress levels can increase REM sleep, leading to more vivid dreams. Additionally, there is a strong correlation between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the frequency of nightmares.
- There are changes in your daily routine. Rajkumar Dasgupta, MD, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, explains that REM cycles lengthen and deepen throughout the night, leading to the deepest sleep right before you wake up in the morning. Sleeping more than usual can increase the likelihood of experiencing bizarre dreams. Conversely, lack of sleep or fragmented sleep can also lead to more vivid dreams.
How to Manage Bizarre Dreams?
Most people experience bizarre dreams from time to time, Dr. Dimitriu notes, but they are not typically a cause for concern.
In fact, there are several ways to avoid experiencing bizarre dreams or to calm yourself after they occur:
- Reduce stress. Activities right before bedtime can affect your dreams. Therefore, try to manage these by limiting exposure to frightening news or mentally stimulating activities. Additionally, incorporating practices such as journaling, regular exercise, meditation, or talking with a therapist can promote better sleep.
- Relaxation techniques. If a nightmare wakes you in the middle of the night, it can be challenging to fall back asleep. “After a nightmare, try to relax, take deep breaths, focus on lowering your heart rate, and avoid dwelling on the ominous interpretations of dreams,” Dr. Stahl advises. You might also read a book until you start to feel sleepy again.
- Try dream rehearsal. A technique called “dream rehearsal” can help you take control over how nightmares disrupt your sleep. This process involves writing down the story from your nightmare and then describing a happier or more pleasant ending. You can “visualize a happy ending right before going to sleep,” Dr. Dimitriu suggests.
- Establish a sleep routine. Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, which can help regulate your circadian rhythm and prevent oversleeping or sleep deprivation.
If you continue to experience frequent nightmares that disrupt your sleep, it may be beneficial to consult with a psychologist for more specific and helpful strategies.
