12 Surprising Things Your Dreams Reveal About You

Brainy Dose Presents: 12 Surprising Things Your Dreams Reveal About You Researchers believe that we all dream every night. And while some people can recall their dreams, others have little or no recollection of them. Since you're watching this video, chances are that you've had a powerful dream or two… You're probably fascinated by dreams and wonder about their meanings and whether they are directly linked to you in one way or another. According to science, there are some correlations. After all, dreams are the manifestations of your subconscious! Although the meanings of dreams aren't always straightforward, they are representative of your emotions and thoughts. They can also reveal certain things about your personality and even the state of your health. So, what is your mind trying to communicate to you when you sleep? Let's find out! Number 1 - How Creative You Are It appears to be a fundamental continuity between people's perceptions of the world during the day and night. Those inclined to daydream and fantasize seem to have a smaller barrier between states of sleep and wakefulness and they can pass between them more easily. This means that creative, imaginative, and fantasy-prone individuals are more likely to experience vivid dreams. Instead of dreaming about being at work or doing something at home, they often find themselves in strange, unusual, and intriguing dream settings. Number 2 - Your Work Style Are you one of those workaholics who tends to run themselves into the ground? Or, do you make an effort to regularly schedule some personal time? If you're a hard worker who puts a lot of pressure on yourself, the tension might make your dreams seem disturbing and even exhausting. But if you have a more easygoing outlook on life, you're more likely to have dreams that aren't as burdensome. Number 3 - A Possible Heart Problem Compared to people who do not experience frequent nightmares, those who do may be more likely to suffer from an irregular heartbeat or chest pain. In fact, studies have found that suffering from an irregular heartbeat raises the likelihood of nightmares threefold while having chest pain increases the risk sevenfold. This might be because people with heart problems are more prone to experience breathing problems, resulting in decreased oxygen levels to the brain. Number 4 - Your Problem-Solving Skills Are you aware that you are dreaming when you're asleep? If so, then you are someone who experiences lucid dreaming. And research indicates that people who lucid-dream are 25% more capable of solving problems in a positive and insightful manner during their waking hours. Researchers believe that those who can recognize when they are dreaming are more intuitive and insightful, helping them make better decisions when faced with challenges. Number 5 - Your Political Leanings and Ideals Political views are often a significant aspect of someone’s personality. Whichever side of the political spectrum your ideals fall on, impacts how you perceive the world and what you believe. According to studies, those who lean toward conservative views tend to have dreams that are more practical but somewhat dull in nature. Those with more liberal political views, are more likely to have odd or downright bizarre dreams. Number 6 - A Possible Sleep Disorder Do you have frequent nightmares about drowning, choking, or suffocating? If so, your body may be trying to tell you that you have an actual sleep disorder that should be addressed. You could be suffering from sleep apnea, a condition that causes you to stop breathing for brief periods while sleeping. On a positive note, one study showed that 91% of individuals with sleep apnea who received treatment experienced fewer nightmares. Number 7 - If You’re Out of Touch with Your Emotions Dreams are basically your brain's attempt to make sense of your experiences. Having recurring dreams that don’t change much over time, might indicate that you’re having difficulties dealing with something emotionally. To resolve such troubles, think about how the dream made you feel, and what real-life situations could be causing you to experience those feelings. Number 8 - What Medications You're Taking Many medications, including antidepressants, antibiotics, statins, and even antihistamines, have been linked to bad dreams. Beta-blockers used to treat high blood pressure are particularly notorious for causing disturbing nightmares. While these medications help widen blood vessels, some experts believe that they may indirectly change the balance of certain brain chemicals, which can trigger nightmares. Number 9 - Who You're Closest To Your dreams are a very accurate reflection of the emotional bonds in your life. And studies have found that the people you have the strongest relationships with, appear in your dreams most frequently. For example, if you often dream of your mother, rather than your father, then it's safe to predict that you are closer emotionally to your mom than your dad. Number 10 - Your Risk of Brain or Nerve Disease If you regularly flail and thrash around during a dream, you might be suffering from a condition called REM sleep behavior disorder. Researchers believe that this is caused by damage to the area of the brain which normally stops us from acting out our dreams. This condition causes violent and disturbing nightmares such as being chased or attacked, leading the dreamer to actually start punching or kicking, and at times even injuring themselves or their partner. It is a strong predictor of diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and can appear up to 10 years before any other symptoms. Number 11 - If You're About to Have a Migraine These agonizing headaches often strike at night, and according to research, they are frequently accompanied by unpleasant dreams that are typically filled with themes of anger and aggression. However, it’s not the onset of a migraine that causes bad dreams. You see, when you experience a bad dream, your neck muscles tighten up as a physical symptom of your perceived distress putting pressure on nerves, particularly the occipital nerves, which can trigger a migraine headache. Number 12 - If You're a Woman, Your Period Might Be Approaching Some women claim to have vivid dreams just before their period. Turns out, dreams are also influenced by hormones. And women are in a hormonal flux right before their period, which typically results in erratic sleep and dreams. The explanation is that REM sleep is reduced a week leading up to menstruation. And as we know, dreams mainly occur during REM sleep. So when a woman is expecting her period, she's not necessarily dreaming more, but she is waking up and remembering more due to the uncomfortable nature of her menstrual cycle. Although much remains unknown, and scientists continue to investigate dreams, we cannot deny the influence they have on our day-to-day lives. Of course, dreams are unique to each individual, and their interpretation is often a matter of opinion. Nevertheless, it is intriguing and worthwhile to observe themes and patterns that appear in your dreams and their influence on your waking life. They might just be telling you something about yourself! What do you think? Can you relate to any of these? Share your thoughts and comments below! If you enjoyed this video, give it a thumbs-up, and share it with your friends, so we can keep making them. For more videos like this, hit the subscribe button, and remember to click on the notification bell. Also, be sure to check out our other videos as well. Thanks for watching!