Other dreams haunt me after I wake. I have had nights when my heart has been pounding, I’m up in a state of unease, and I’m not quite sure why I can’t get it away.
Initially, I dismissed them as some sort of stress. I began to see familiar patterns, however, recurring images and themes and feelings that felt connected to a deeper meaning, after a while.
If you have had this sort of experience, you are not the only one. This guide takes an in-depth look at common nightmares which are actually warnings, exploring why dreams can sometimes act on a loop and what they might be trying to communicate, and identifying when it’s time to listen. Not every dream is a significant one, some are worth listening to.
The Reasons Behind Nightmares
Common nightmares usually happen during a part of sleep called REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. It’s the time when your brain is most active, and when you have the most dreams. In REM sleep your brain is focused on sorting out memories, thoughts and emotions.
Common nightmares can occur when the brain is processing stress and strong emotions. They can also be a means for your brain to release fear and emotional pressure.
Some of the most common causes of nightmares are:
Do Nightmares Serve as Alerts?
Yes, at times common nightmares may be indicators of a deeper problem. On a mental level, they could be a symbol of fear or over-emotionality that your mind is trying to resolve. These could be brought up in your dreams if you are under a lot of stress or suppressing strong feelings.
Common nightmares are a way of the mind to process emotions that it hasn’t dealt with throughout the day. From a medical angle, having nightmares often can point to health issues. Frequent common nightmares show a strong link between common nightmares and mental health conditions like PTSD and anxiety. They also show up in people with diseases like Parkinson’s and lupus, especially when the illness flares up.
When this happens, the nightmares are not random, but may be associated with the body’s or brain’s reaction to a stressor, disease or pain. Excessive nightmares may be a clue to the need for a health checkup.
The Following are Common Nightmares that are Actually Warnings
Many common nightmares share common elements, which can be strange, frightening or even random. The dreams can be a representation of stress, fear or issues that you’re dealing with in your life. If you know what most of your nightmares are, you can begin to read your mind. The meaning of each dream type may be a message about your emotional state or health.
These dreams can not foretell the future, but they can provide you hints on what you are bottling up or neglecting to say. Being sensitive to them may help you detect issues before they escalate.
What Science Has to Say About Recurring Nightmares
Common nightmares are more than just bad dreams, they can be indicative of a deeper issue in the brain and body. Recurring nightmares are experienced by approximately 2-8% of adults, and are frequently associated with untreated stress, anxiety and/or trauma according to Harvard Medical School.
The nightmares typically occur in REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, when the brain is processing emotions and memories. A lack of REM sleep can cause your brain to misread your emotions and cause a person to have recurring and vivid dreams. Read more from Harvard’s findings about common nightmares and that sometimes your dreams do mean something.
The article on Recurring common nightmares on Healthline mentions that these nightmares are more often associated with stress, depression, anxiety, PTSD and some sleep disorders. A systematic review also found that nightmares often co-occur with psychiatric disorders, implying that nightmares can not only be caused by mental health disorders, but can also exacerbate them.
Epidemiological findings support this: In one study of psychiatric inpatients, 61.54% of the patients who suffered from PTSD reported having common nightmares at least weekly, whereas the non‑PTSD patients reported 40.32% of common nightmares at least weekly. This may indicate the nightmares are happening again and again, and not just because of random bad dreams, but as a sign of emotional regulation issues or psychiatric illness.
If Nightmares are Health Related Warnings
Common nightmares can be more than emotional, and can sometimes be a warning sign for real health issues. Many people believe that nightmares are related to an awful day or perhaps a scary film, however repeated common nightmares may be associated with medical issues. If they occur frequently, are very strong, or make you feel tired or worried in the day, they could be of concern.
Common nightmares can also be linked to chronic conditions physically. Individuals who have certain autoimmune diseases such as lupus or certain neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s often find that they dream more vividly and have more disturbing dreams, particularly during flare-ups. Another sleep disorder is sleep apnea, which can cause waking up from sleep with dreams that are stressful.
The possibility of Health Connections in Nightmares
If dreams continue and seem to be related to the way your body or mind is working, it could be more than stress. The following is a brief list of things that may be causing them and who you should consult:
If the nightmares continue, particularly if you experience other symptoms such as memory problems, mood changes or tiredness, it’s worth consulting a doctor. If you catch the cause early, it will help you to sleep better and feel better during the day.
Symbols and Meaning Behind Nightmares
Common nightmares are believed to have a greater significance in a number of cultures and spiritual beliefs. Some believe that they are messages from the ancestors, warnings from the divine, or signs of spiritual unrest. Some cultures believe that dreams can be messages from unseen forces, such as guidance or protection. In this perspective, nightmares are not random, they can be meaningful and should be noticed.
To comprehend and respond to these messages, religious practices such as prayer, ritual or dream journaling are often employed. Individuals can seek guidance from spiritual leaders/elders on the explanation of the meaning of the dream.
In these places dreams are not something to fear, but something to take care of and to pause, reflect and listen more deeply to one’s inner or spiritual life.
When do Nightmares Become a Problem?
Although not all nightmares require medical intervention, some do. If you are experiencing nightmares more than once or twice a week or if you are feeling anxious, exhausted or fear sleeping because of nightmares, it may be time to seek professional help. Nightmares that leave you for hours feeling sad, shaking or sweating can also indicate underlying issues.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Nightmares (CBT-N) is a therapy that can help people to modify their thinking and response to dreams. When nightmares are associated with trauma or PTSD, another technique is used, called EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Both therapies have been shown to be effective in decreasing the frequency and intensity of nightmares over time.
Conclusion
Of the worst of all the nightmares I used to dismiss, some of those events were more significant than I realized. Hindsight is 20/20, and they were warning signs, subtle niggles in my brain that something was amiss. I learned to differentiate between typical bad dreams and warnings so I could be able to deal with emotions and stress I wasn’t even aware of. It helped me to see the inner workings that were actually going on.
Time now for you to reflect. Consider your persevering dreams. What do they mean? First, either write them down or observe what their triggers are. That little habit will result in a great discovery.
