If you had read our ‘What causes us to dream at night?’ blog you would see that everyone dreams at least 3 – 6 times per night, but did you know an estimated 50% - 85% of adults have the occasional nightmare. Nightmares can be very scary and realistic and can cause stress to your sleep, but there is always a reason behind what is causing your nightmares in real life.

If you are like me, I look up my dream / nightmare meanings on a daily basis, I am always intrigued to find out the meaning behind them and give myself a peace of mind.

What causes nightmares?

Sometimes the underlining craziness in our lives come through in dreams and nightmares.

Stress and anxiety would be one of the most popular reasons for triggering nightmares, drugs and medications are also linked to higher risk of getting nightmares along with sleep deprivation.

Here are the most common nightmares we have at night –

Falling –

Falling in your dream is linked to feeling insecure and anxiety about a certain situation that is happening in your life. It means you are feeling scared but if you enjoy the feeling of falling it means you are not afraid of change.

Being Naked –

Thankfully this is a most common nightmare and not a real life scenario. You always see it as the most common dream in movies, standing on a stage naked in front of the whole high school and then the student wakes up from the nightmare. The meaning behind this nightmare is being accused wrongly of something happening in your life or feeling uncertainty.

Teeth falling out –

I would count this as my WORSE nightmare. I am obsessed with my teeth and making sure there are in the best condition so when I experience this dream, I wake up in a tizzy. And of course dreaming about this can reflect your anxieties about how people perceive you and your appearance. It comes down to self-confidence issues and embarrassment and feeling unattractive.

Partner cheating –

Don’t worry, this is nothing to do with your romance or your partner before you start an argument (and yes that does happen.)

This is another dream that comes down to your own insecurities and issues. When dreaming your partner is cheating it comes down to your fears of being abandoned. That could have come from a parent, an ex or an important person who you valued in your life that has left you with abandoned feeling and the fear of feeling it again, another reason is if you yourself have feelings of guilt and betrayal. 

Being Chased –

Being chased is the most common nightmare of all. It comes down to feeling anxious about something in your life at that present time and let’s face it, we all feel anxious about something at some point in our lives or feel a little pressure which is why it is such a common dream

Thankfully they are just nightmares and we can wake up and go about our lives as normal,

But here are a few tips to help with nightmares before you go to sleep –

Keeping to a sleep schedule (avoid taking afternoon naps.)

Cut out caffeine and alcohol before bedtime.

Avoid scary movies/ games /books etc.

Relax before sleeping – Chill out with hot baths, oils, and candles.

If you continue to have nightmares on a daily basis, look into talking to a doctor and trying to solve the problem and have a healthier sleep.