If You Keep Having Crazy Dreams, Here’s What Might Be Going On
According to sleep experts, there are many reasons why strange dreams can occur.
It doesn’t matter if you remember them when you wake-up. dreaming is a normal part of sleep This can occur at any stage of the sleep cycle. However, it’s most often during deep, blissful REM sleep. Sometimes you may not be aware of what happened while you were asleep. You may have a vague recollection of your dreams. Every once in a while, you may shoot straight up and think, “Well That was weird!” If it’s happening a lot, you may find yourself wondering, Why do I have so many dreams?
Unusual dreams can be frightening. You might wonder what happened to it, or if it is connected to something deeper. Sleep experts are not only used to hearing first-hand about people’s strange dreams, they also study why they happen in the first place. There are many scientific reasons why unusual dreams can occur.
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8 Reasons You Should Have Crazy Dreams
1. You took melatonin
Melatonin This is a circadian stimulant that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. Many people take it as a supplement for sleep aid. According to a sleep medicine doctor Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown, MDHigh doses of melatonin Some people experience vivid dreams. While she says that the reason why this can happen isn’t entirely clear, one theory is that taking melatonin may slightly increase the amount of time someone spends in the dreaming stage of sleep, which ups the chances of experiencing vivid dreaming.
“[Having unusual dreams] This is often the first sign of an overdose on melatonin. I have heard this from many patients,” says TheSleepDoctor.com Founding clinical psychologist Dr. Michael Breus, Ph.D. Consider this your reminder not to take more than the recommended dose; it won’t help you sleep better and could lead to some pretty strange dreams.
Related: Here’s How Sleep Experts Actually Want You To Use Melatonin—and It’s Probably Not How You Think
2. You are taking an SSRI, or blood pressure medication
Besides melatonin, Dr. Breus says that certain medications—specifically ones that affect neurotransmitters or the immune response—can affect dreams, potentially causing nightmares. This could include beta-blockers (used to treat high blood pressure). SSRIs (used to depression und other mental health conditions antihistamines.
3. Before you went to bed, you watched or read something that was disturbing.
“When we watch graphic shows or other disturbing news right before bed without sufficient time to process this prior to sleep, we may run the risk of having dreams or even nightmares related to these experiences,” says Dr. Afolabi-Brown. This means that you might want to avoid watching true crime shows or scrolling through the headlines on your news apps as you go to bed at night. Do you prefer cute puppies? Absolutely okay.
Related: Here’s Exactly How Many Hours of Sleep You Really Need Every Night, According to Experts
4. For dinner, you had something spicy
Although the jury is still out as to whether the link between spicy foods and strange dreams is real, Dr. Breus states that there has been some evidence. The theory Capsaicin, the active ingredient in chili peppers, raises body temperature and then affects brain waves during sleep. Again, it hasn’t completely been proven yet, but it is one possible reason researchers are exploring.
5. You ate plenty of dairy before you went to bed
Do you know what other foods could impact your dreams? Cheese. Dr. Breus suggests cheese study showing Participants attributed disturbing dreams to between 39-44 percent of the food group. This was more than any other food. So if you’re prone to strange dreams, maybe go easy on the pizza Ice cream.
6. You had an argument with someone
Do you remember the old saying that you should never be angry when you go to bed? It turns out that there’s more to it than a way to maintain healthy relationships. Dr. Afolabi Brown says vivid dreams and nightmares can be affected if we are not careful with our emotions. This is the point. one scientific study shows The brain waves that occur when someone gets angry in their waking hours are the same as those that occur when they’re happy. life When they feel anger while dreaming, this is called a nightmare. While emotions can hinder sleep, they can also impact our dreams.
7. You’re stressed out
Poor sleep can be linked to stress some research shows This can lead to a person dreaming bigger than usual. One theory is that this happens because our dreams can help with problem-solving. If you’re worried about something, vividly visualizing different scenarios in your dreams could actually help.
8. You have PTSD
The last thing is the a correlation between experiencing post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) and having nightmares. This is due to PTSD causing hypersensitivity in the brain, resulting in a state called fight-or flight and a fixation on traumatic events throughout sleep.
These dreams often relate to trauma experienced. Dr. Afolabi-Brown says that if you have recurring nightmares or a history of PTSD, it’s important to reach out to an expert who specializes in PTSD for help. “There are treatments, such as imagery rehearsal therapy, that are beneficial and also times when medications may be needed,” she says.
Strange dreams may make for an interesting topic of discussion with your friends, but the truth is that they can be detrimental to your health if they are making you scared to go to sleep because you’re worried about what will surface. For this reason, if unusual dreams or nightmares are recurring for you, it’s important to reach out to a sleep doctor for help. They can help you figure out the reason why you may be having disturbing dreams—including one of the reasons listed here—as well as offer tips on how to experience them less. Remember that dreams are supposed be sweet.