Reasons why you're having weird dreams..
You’re well past the point in your life where you’re scared of the dark. So why are you still plagued by frightening nightmares—or just plain bizarre dreams? It’s true that…
You’re well past the point in your life where you’re scared of the dark. So why are you still plagued by frightening nightmares—or just plain bizarre dreams?
It’s true that nightmares and disturbing dreams prove most common in young kids. But they plague plenty of grown-ups, too: Up to
29% of us
report having nightmares once a week, according to findings in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
Experts know that dreams happen during REM sleep, the period of sleep when your brain is highly active. But they still can’t say for sure why we dream. Or just as important, what influences whether our dreams are chill and happy (riding a horse on the beach—woohoo!) or strange and scary (running from a threatening figure through the woods—oh no!).
But when it comes to the content of those unpleasant dreams, there are plenty of theories.
1. You ate a huge, spicy meal for dinner.
2. You’re taking sleep supplements.
3. You’re going off your meds.
4. You binged on TV before bed.
5. You’re super stressed out.
As we covered above, plenty of factors can contribute to weird and uncomfortable dreams, ranging from stress to diet.
However, there are even more things to consider when trying to get a better, deeper 8-hours of sleep each night.
Most things you’ve probably heard of, such as limiting the amount of blue light before bedtime to avoiding spicy foods and sugary or caffeinated drinks.
However, the quality of your mattress matters as well. It isn’t as common knowledge, but the best mattress for you could depend on your sleep style. For example, the best mattress for side sleepers tends to be a softer bed, as the extra cushion helps contour to side sleepers’ hips and shoulders.
You’re well past the point in your life where you’re scared of the dark. So why are you still plagued by frightening nightmares—or just plain bizarre dreams?
It’s true that nightmares and disturbing dreams prove most common in young kids. But they plague plenty of grown-ups, too: Up to
29% of us
report having nightmares once a week, according to findings in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
Experts know that dreams happen during REM sleep, the period of sleep when your brain is highly active. But they still can’t say for sure why we dream. Or just as important, what influences whether our dreams are chill and happy (riding a horse on the beach—woohoo!) or strange and scary (running from a threatening figure through the woods—oh no!).
But when it comes to the content of those unpleasant dreams, there are plenty of theories.
1. You ate a huge, spicy meal for dinner.
2. You’re taking sleep supplements.
3. You’re going off your meds.
4. You binged on TV before bed.
5. You’re super stressed out.
As we covered above, plenty of factors can contribute to weird and uncomfortable dreams, ranging from stress to diet.
However, there are even more things to consider when trying to get a better, deeper 8-hours of sleep each night.
Most things you’ve probably heard of, such as limiting the amount of blue light before bedtime to avoiding spicy foods and sugary or caffeinated drinks.
However, the quality of your mattress matters as well. It isn’t as common knowledge, but the best mattress for you could depend on your sleep style. For example, the best mattress for side sleepers tends to be a softer bed, as the extra cushion helps contour to side sleepers’ hips and shoulders.
