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- “The dreaming brain is serving a function, and if it gives you a nugget of an emotional and visual dream, reflect on that. That's a portal to yourself that no therapist can even get to.” And repeated anxiety dreams, he says “I think that's something to pay attention to. That might be a vital sign for your mental health.”
www.npr.org/2024/06/02/nx-s1-4987258/dreams-dreaming-interpretation-meaning-anxiety
People also ask
Are your dreams a portal to your inner self?
Why do I have anxiety dreams?
Do anxiety dreams make a lot of sense?
Jun 3, 2024 · 7. Dreams can be ‘a portal to your inner self’ — and mental health. Everyone has anxiety dreams from time to time. Some are literal, like dreaming you’re on a podium naked when you actually have to give a speech the next day, says Jandial. But others can be more symbolic, and these are worth tuning in to.
- Overview
- Why it happens
- Do the dreams mean anything?
- Getting back to sleep
- Preventing them in the future
- When to get help
- The bottom line
Most people generally agree on the benefits of a good night’s sleep. After hard work, a good snooze gives you the chance to recharge your body so you wake up refreshed and ready for another day.
If you’re dealing with anxiety or other life challenges, quality sleep can help you feel more capable of facing stressful days. But when anxiety creeps into your dreams, sleep might not provide the restful escape you’re seeking.
Anxiety dreams can feel pretty unpleasant. Not only do they disrupt your sleep, they can also add to stress and anxiety in the morning. You might even worry they mean something bad is about to happen.
If you’re wondering what really causes your anxiety dreams and whether you can manage them to get better sleep, you’ve come to the right place.
An anxiety dream, in short, usually refers to any dream that causes stress or distress.
You might feel panicked or nervous during the dream, but these emotions might also linger after you wake up, and your general unease might persist throughout the day.
Although nightmares often inspire feelings of terror more intense than general anxiety, these also count as anxiety dreams, since anxiety during the day can make nightmares more likely.
Some general causes of nightmares and anxiety dreams include:
•fear or stress
•recent life changes, especially ones that provoke uncertainty or other distress
Dreams often don’t make a lot of sense. Some of your dreams might seem very clear and coherent but have a few unrealistic elements. Maybe you’re naked at work, or you have wings, or you’re making out with a celebrity.
But just because you dream about these things doesn’t mean they’ll happen, and the same goes for anxiety dreams.
Maybe you keep dreaming about missing a final exam or your partner cheating. When you wake up, you might feel terrified of these possibilities becoming reality.
Usually, though, these dreams don’t signify anything deeper than perhaps some subconscious (or conscious) worries about these things happening.
If you spend a lot of time worrying about the possibility of your partner cheating, it’s understandable these worries might show up in your dreams, even when they appear in abstract ways.
Dream exploration is a vast field of study, and many theories about what dreams could mean exist. However, there’s no scientific research to support the idea that dreams can predict future events.
Try something relaxing
A relaxing activity can help put your brain back into sleep mode. It doesn’t have to be dull or boring, exactly, but it shouldn’t wake you back up. Try: •a warm drink •quiet music •a soothing podcast •a favorite book, or one with slow pacing •breathing or meditative exercises Just keep your lights dim and try to avoid watching TV or scrolling through your phone, since that can wake you up even more. ASMR videos do help many people with anxiety-related sleep issues relax, however, so that may be one exception to this rule to consider.
Get up
If time stretches on and you can’t seem to fall back asleep, don’t stay in bed. It’s easy to get frustrated and upset when you can’t get back to sleep, but this often just makes things worse. So, get a drink of water, take a walk around the house, or try a warm bath. Wait to go back to bed until you start feeling sleepy again.
Whatever you do, don’t look at the clock
You wake up and immediately notice the time. Ten minutes later, you’re still awake. Ten more minutes pass, and before you know it, you’ve been lying awake for nearly an hour. Now you’re less anxious about your dream and more stressed about all the sleep you’ve missed. The more time that goes by, the more frustrated you feel. If you have anxiety dreams regularly, you’ve probably experienced this plenty of times. To avoid increasing your stress, check your clock or phone once when you wake up, if you need to, then don’t look at it again. You’ll most likely have an easier time getting back to sleep if you don’t worry about what time it is or how long you’ve been awake.
Start a calming bedtime routine
A routine of activities that help you wind down and relax before bed can help you get better sleep. Turn off the TV and computer and set aside your phone about an hour before bed. Then try: •reading •listening to music •meditating •taking a bath Journaling just before bed can offer a way to express stressful or negative thoughts. The act of jotting them down can help you feel as if you’re physically casting them off. Once you’re in bed, let your mind wander to positive thoughts instead, such as people or places you love, good things about your day, or the things you appreciate in life.
Avoid stressful or upsetting activities before bed
If the last thing you do before bed is go over your finances or read a distressing email from a loved one, you’ll probably keep thinking about these things when trying to get some rest. It’s not possible to completely avoid all stressful tasks, of course. But if you know something inspires feelings of stress or anxiety, try to handle it earlier in the day. Then, follow it with a hobby you enjoy or something else that makes you feel better, like time with your best friend or romantic partner. Doing something positive can help relieve the anxiety brought on by the unpleasant task and reset your mood.
Make time for exercise
Exercise has plenty of benefits, including improved sleep. Adding just 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity to your day may help you get better sleep right away — maybe even that night. Try: •brisk walking •swimming •cycling •hiking However, try to get this exercise in at least an hour before you go to bed. Exercise leads to endorphin release and a higher body temperature, both of which can wake up your body instead of helping it prepare for sleep.
Frequent, distressing anxiety dreams or nightmares can sometimes happen as part of an underlying sleep or medical condition, such as:
•a parasomnia (sleep disorder)
•post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
•cancer
•heart disease
•depression
Anxiety dreams generally just mean you’re dealing with some stress, but they’re still no fun.
Try looking at them from a different perspective: They can actually have some benefit. They help you recognize stress in your life, for one.
A study from 2019 also suggests a more adaptive purpose of anxiety dreams: Improving your ability to cope with fear when awake.
However you look at them, taking steps to cope with anxiety can help these dreams disappear. If you have trouble managing stress alone, a therapist can help.
- Crystal Raypole
Aug 10, 2020 · Negative or worrisome thoughts can influence the types of dreams you have. If you’ve been worrying about that work project all day, odds are your dreams will reflect that. To help uncover the hidden meaning behind your dreams, we cover some of the most common anxiety dreams and what they mean below. 1. Tornadoes
Apr 27, 2022 · Anxiety dreams can feel unpleasant, scary, and even painful. What causes them and what are the signs of anxiety in dreams? Here's what experts say.
Mar 20, 2024 · Anxiety dreams are vivid dreams that can be distressing even after you wake up. They often happen when dealing with excessive stress and can have a common theme of frustration, confusion, or helplessness.
Nov 6, 2023 · If you're experiencing high levels of anxiety, it's likely to manifest in your dreams, perhaps in symbolic or exaggerated ways. Managing your anxiety through therapeutic techniques, mindfulness practices, and other stress-relieving activities can help reduce anxiety-induced dreams.
