Sweet Dreams: 10 Things Science Reveals About Dreams That Might Make You Rethink Sleep

1. Men and Women Dream Pretty Differently

A quote that I like and use often is, “If two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.” (Larry Dixon) And yes, men and women are created differently in order to balance one another — and I will forever die on that hill. Which is why it doesn’t surprise me in the least that, even when it comes to dreaming, males and females are not exactly the same.

Although research does indicate that dreaming, in part, is about how we process memories while we sleep regardless of our gender, men’s dreams tend to be more about action while women’s dreams are more about conversation. Not only that but women’s dreams are typically longer; men dream about other men more than women do (interesting), and women dream more from their own perspective while men daydream more with the topic usually being about sex.

2. Lucid Dreaming Is a Method to “Control” Your Dreams

If it feels like you are aware of the fact that you are dreaming as you are doing so, pardon the pun, but it’s not all in your head. What this is called is lucid dreaming and, the fascinating thing about it is, to a certain extent, you can actually control these types of dreams whenever you have them. If the mere thought of this fascinates you and you want to try and “rig up” some of your dreams (LOL) — some sleep experts say that doing things like keeping a dream diary and a sleep schedule can help to make this happen. Anyway, you can read more about lucid dreaming here.

3. Dreams Typically Have a Short Shelf Life

Although it’s been reported that people tend to spend somewhere around two hours of their night dreaming, the thing to keep in mind is most individuals have multiple dreams during that period of time — and for this reason, oftentimes dreams last for no longer than 5-10 minutes tops (although some have the ability to last considerably longer. You can read more about that here and here).

4. Dreams Happen When You Are in REM Sleep (You’re “Paralyzed” Then Too)

When it comes to sleeping, it actually happens in four different stages. While you can read more about those here, as far as your dream state is concerned, most of that tends to happen during your rapid eye movement cycle which is better known as REM. It is when you are in your final stage of sleep which is why your dreams typically are the most intense during that time.

Know what else is wild about dreaming during REM? Although you don’t realize it, your body is actually paralyzed. And although, initially, that might sound low-key terrifying, it’s actually a blessing in disguise because your brain is telling your muscles to stop working (temporarily) and that is what ultimately keeps you from acting out whatever you are dreaming about. The more you know.

5. Certain Sex Dreams Have NOTHING to Do with Sex At All

Sex-themed dreams are very normal and quite common. Thing is, although the dreams may be about sex, oftentimes what they are interpreting is something entirely different. For instance, a BDSM dream is oftentimes about having a controlling parent, while a sex dream that involves a lot of dirty talk could represent someone who wants to free themselves from how others perceive them, and recurring sex dreams about your ex typically means that there are some unresolved issues that you may have with them.

Oh, and while we’re on this topic, dre​ams about cheating usually means that you are feeling some sort of jealousy in your relationship while sex with a boss usually means that you want to move up in your job or be appreciated more often — not that you want them in a sensual type of way.

6. You Can’t Read or Tell Time in Your Dreams

Here’s something that you’ve probably never thought about before — when you think back on the dreams that you can remember (more on that in a bit), how many of them do you recall reading or even telling time in? If you said “a few,” science would probably give you the side-eye because, according to their research, reading (and telling time) is virtually impossible to do whenever you are in your dream state.

The reason why is because, while you are dreaming, the logical and intellectual part of your brain pretty much shuts down. If that bothers you, the easiest way to try to read (or tell time) would be to train your mind to do some of the lucid dreaming that we already talked about.

7. Your Recurring Dreams Typically Mean You Need to Address Something

Out of all of the things that I’ve mentioned about dreams, this is probably the most obvious revelation — if you are having a recurring dream, it tends to mean that either you have some unresolved issues in your life or there is a need that needs to be met that hasn’t been yet. While doing a bit of research on this one specifically, I thought it was interesting that many mental health experts say that some of the most common recurring dreams involve flying, falling, encountering a dead individual, your teeth falling out or being nude.

And what are some ways to “end” recurring dreams? See a therapist. State what your needs actually are (to the person who is not meeting them). Lower your stress levels. Get more consistent rest. Speak with your doctor about altering your medications (if you happen to be on some). To that last point, a not-so-fun fact: melatonin usage is sometimes attached to nightmares. Goodness.

8. Foods You Consume Can Influence Your Dream State

There are several reasons why you shouldn’t eat immediately before turning in at night; one reason is because it has the ability to mess with your body’s natural circadian rhythm which is your system’s 24-hour clock. This is relevant when it comes to sleep because your circadian rhythm helps to control things like your sleeping pattern.

Another thing to take note of is to not only push the plate back 2-3 hours before going to bed but to watch what you do choose to consume as well. That’s because, believe it or not, certain foods do have an impact on your dream life. Like did you know that dairy can cause digestive issues that can lead to microaggressions that can give you very strange dreams?

Or were you aware that sugary foods can trigger your nervous system and make your dreams more vivid and intense? Interestingly enough, dairy, sweets and also spicy foods can also increase your chances of having a nightmare. Hey, don’t shoot the messenger, chile.

9. Is It True That Some People Don’t Dream at All?

I don’t know about y’all, but when I was growing up, I used to hear that if you don’t dream, you’re crazy. The actual fact is that, although most people absolutely do dream, the reason why they don’t remember them (or they dream less than other people) is because they don’t fall into REM sleep as much or often as they should.

And what are some of the main reasons for why this would happen? Sleep disorders, depression and medications that treat anxiety are all things that top the list. So, if not dreaming is something that bothers you, speak with your doctor and consider seeing a sleep specialist. An underlying issue could be the cause.

10. Not Only Scary Movies Lead to Nightmares

While reading a Harvard-based article entitled, “Nightmares and the Brain,” I thought it was interesting that it separated nightmares from night terrors (nightmares can be remembered; night terrors cannot although people do wake up screaming or frightened), that night terrors mostly happen to children and “Night terrors are not technically dreams but are instead sudden fearful reactions that occur during transitions from one sleep phase to another.”

Okay, but clearly people have actual nightmares (1 in 20 people say that they do at least once a week); however, guess what the source of a lot of them are? While sometimes it’s a horror film, oftentimes it’s stress, anxiety or simply sleep deprivation. Honestly, I might have a nightmare a couple of times a year, tops (and I remember my dreams on a daily basis). So, if that’s a sign that I’m managing stress well — happy to hear it!

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Welp, there you have it: 10 facts about dreams. Now that you know them, does it make you want to approach sleeping — and dreaming — in a different way? If so, hop in the comments and tell us why. Because, clearly, dreaming is more than just a notion. Amazing.

Sweet dreams to all, y’all.

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