Why You Can Trust CNET Weird Pregnancy Dreams? Here's Why and What They Mean
Strange dreams are just a part of pregnancy for most people, and there are good reasons why.
- Certified Sleep Science Coach, Certified Stress Management Coach
While you're pregnant, there are millions of things on your mind -- the excitement of welcoming a new baby, wondering how you'll afford to stock the house with diapers and choosing which color to paint the nursery.
All that doesn't just end when you fall asleep. It follows you into your dreams, sometimes in unexpected ways. Many women report recalling extremely vivid and occasionally bizarre dreams while pregnant. In fact, for some people, strange dreams are the first clue that they're pregnant. Let's dig into why your dreams change while pregnant and what it might mean for you.
Why does pregnancy affect your dreams?
Experts don't know why we dream. We understand how: your thalamus becomes active and sends sensations like sound and images to the cortex, though the exact reason this happens is unknown. The most widely accepted suggestion is that dreams are a way for the subconscious mind to try to work through issues from the day.
According to a study in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, pregnant women report experiencing more nightmares than average, especially during the last trimester. Common dreams are reported during pregnancy, some of which have nothing to do with pregnancy.
Common pregnancy dreams include but are not limited to:
- Feeling trapped or falling
- Pregnancy or giving birth
- Standing or swimming in the ocean
- Giving birth to a baby animal
- Your partner cheating on you
- Cheating on your partner with an ex
- Misplacing your baby
- Teeth falling out
Pregnancy enhances dreaming. Your dreams and nightmares feel incredibly realistic, and you're more likely to be able to recall them. But why? There are three main ways in which pregnancy can influence your dreams.
Your hormones change
Your body undergoes many psychological, emotional and physical changes during pregnancy. To start, your body is flooded with hormones, which impact your emotional state and ability to process information. This is one reason your dreams are more vivid and realistic. One theory researchers pose is that heightened dreams are related to increased progesterone levels.
Hormonal changes will also influence your sleep. During the first trimester, you sleep more, though as you progress into your pregnancy, you sleep less and worse. Just before giving birth, your body releases oxytocin to start uterine contractions, worsening insomnia.
Your sleep is interrupted
Pregnancy can significantly impact your sleep, whether because of discomfort, insomnia or frequent urination at night. Studies show that pregnant women get less REM sleep at night, which is where dreams happen. OK, that sounds counterintuitive. Why would you have more bizarre dreams if you're not getting much REM sleep? But it's about when you wake up.
There is an established sleep cycle that we go through while sleeping. The beginning stages involve our body's relaxing and embracing sleep -- your heart rate and breathing drop. As you move deeper into sleep, your brain becomes more active as you dream. Then you repeat that process several times a night. But if you interrupt the cycle, especially during REM sleep, then you're more likely to remember the dream you had rather than forget it like we usually do because you didn't finish the cycle.
You experience more stress
Stress is a normal response to pregnancy. With the hormonal and physical changes your body is going through, there will be stress accompanying it. Daily stress can influence your dreams and lead to interrupted sleep.
Read more: Feeling Stressed? Use These 7 Coping Strategies to Ease It
It's essential to reduce stress because long-term stress can cause health problems like hypertension or heart disease. It also can increase the chances of a preterm birth.
What do vivid pregnancy dreams mean?
Dreams are one of those things we've always been interested in but never entirely understood. Babylonians believed that dreams were prophetic. Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, suggested that dreams are a chance to fulfill the animalistic or instinctual desires we don't give in during our lives. Then came Carl Jung, who challenged Freud's theory and stated that dreams are a way for our unconscious and conscious minds to communicate. Other experts suggest that dreams are random bits of information from our consciousness that pop up as our neurons fire at night.
As you can tell, there are a lot of theories for what purpose dreams serve. The meaning of dreams isn't always easy to articulate, and they will vary by person. However, there are potential themes these dreams fall under.
Remember, attributing the meaning of a particular dream to pregnancy has the potential to dismiss underlying issues that should be addressed. Dreams mean nothing without the context of your waking life.
Anxiety
The most common theme that relates to dreams is anxiety. Working through unresolved waking issues is one of the accepted reasons we dream. Even when you're ready for it, parenthood is a time of extreme change and growth. Especially for first-time parents who are taking on a new role. With that comes anxiety and added stress. Dreams of teeth falling out or misplacing your baby may suggest you are feeling anxious.
Read more: 5 Ways to Ground Yourself When You're Experiencing Anxiety
Coming to terms with the change
In the same way that the impending changes you're facing can cause anxiety, they also are exciting. Your dreams also are a way for you to work through your excitement and curiosity about what is to come. These dreams may feature friendly animals, swimming or imagining your baby.
7 practical ways to improve your sleep while pregnant
It's challenging to get quality sleep while pregnant. From adapting your sleeping position to frequent bathroom breaks, a lot stands between you and a good night's sleep. Unsettling dreams only make it worse. To minimize bad dreams while sleeping, you should focus on sleeping the best you can.
Here are a few practical tips you can implement into your nightly routine to sleep better while pregnant.
- Invest in a pregnancy pillow to support your bump while sleeping
- Journal about your stress before you go to bed
- Use a mental health app to manage your stress
- Stick to a consistent sleep schedule that your body is used to
- Implement pregnancy yoga or deep breathing to help relax before bed
- Avoid drinking liquids before bed to cut down on bathroom breaks
- Keep your room dark and at a comfortable and cool temperate
These tips won't end wacky pregnancy dreams, though uninterrupted sleep will minimize how many of them you remember.
Too long; didn't read?
Your sleep doesn't just change after the baby is born. For many women, their dreams change during pregnancy. They're more likely to recall their realistic dreams because of hormonal changes, added stress and interrupted sleep.
Remember, dream interpretation isn't an exact science. Sometimes, the meaning of your dream doesn't relate to your pregnancy at all. Dreaming is a normal, healthy part of sleep. However, if you have recurring or alarming dreams, speak with a mental health professional to address your dreams and help manage symptoms.
