Why Do We Have Bad Dreams?

Dreaming is part of the mind’s emotional processing mechanism, which supports the formation of emotional episodic memories. Bad dreams are a normal part of this process and do not usually signify anything specific.

The weird thing about dreams is they can evoke a sense of déjà vu in real life, where you experience something you have dreamed about. This gives dreaming a mystical edge; some think dreams can predict the future.

Bad dreams, however, are unwelcome, evoking a sense of fear, anxiety, or sadness. They can be so powerful that you wake up and feel panicked as your mind desperately works to piece together what is real and what is a dream.

But why do we have bad dreams and nightmares? And can they signify anything? This article explores your biggest questions.

Why do we have bad dreams?

Bad dreams are caused by electrical brain activity during the REM (rapid eye movement) sleep stage. Scientists think that different wavelengths of electrical activity cause other emotions during sleep, whether good or bad.

When we sleep, our brain processes emotions and memories with hormones and electrical activity. Deep and REM sleep is responsible for emotion consolidation, and we have nightmares during these sleep stages.

However, precisely why our brains decide to make us feel anxious, scared, sad, or angry during sleep is not fully understood. The leading hypothesis is that simulating emotions lets the brain consolidate emotions and memories efficiently.

Additionally, psychological triggers can cause nightmares and bad dreams, including trauma, stress, grief, and anxiety.

Some medications can also induce nightmares – drugs that act on chemicals in the brain can give you nightmares and increase stress at night.

Why Do We Have Bad Dreams? Insomnia, medications keeping you awake. — Pictured: Illustration of a man kept awake through medications.

What do bad dreams mean?

Bad dreams do not usually mean anything, but the unsettling nature of many nightmares leads people to look for answers.

If you have recent stress and have started having nightmares, this could indicate that you feel out of control and powerless. The trigger could be something as simple as your cat going missing or a new boss making your life hell.

Nightmares about dying indicate unresolved issues in your life and excessive worrying about those you love. Dreaming about death can also symbolise that things are coming to a close in your life and new beginnings are ahead.

Dreaming about falling in love can indicate a desire to feel loved, but love and anxiety in dreams indicate a lack of love and affection.

Bad dreams that startle and make you wake up spontaneously are a sign of panic, but they are not a sign of anything serious.

How to manage bad dreams

Bad dreams happen when our brains process emotions and memories while sleeping, replicating real-life scenarios (sometimes vividly!). This process consolidates memory and helps us cope with the feelings we experience in life.

While we can’t stop ourselves from having bad dreams, we can take steps to ease anxiety and stress before bedtime to ease our tired minds.

Here’s what we recommend:

Meditate before bedtime – breathing exercises and mindful activities reduce nightmares by shrinking the amygdala, the brain region associated with fear.
Read a book before bed – reading a book before bedtime improves sleep quality, making it easier to fall and stay asleep.
Avoid dairy products two hours before bed – disturbing and bizarre dreams are most common in people who consume dairy products before bedtime.

Speak to your GP about medication – if you are on medication that acts on chemicals in the brain, nightmares could be a side effect

Summing up

Bad dreams can trigger extreme emotional distress, but they are not usually a sign of anything specific or untoward in your life.

People with anxiety, depression, and acute stress are likelier to have bad dreams, especially on consecutive nights. If you are concerned about your bad dreams, it is worth speaking to a sleep specialist for help.