After buying a new mattress from one of the best Orange County mattress stores, you’re guaranteed a good night’s sleep. With the blankets tucked in and the temperature set just right, slipping into dreamland is so much easier!
Dreams are our body’s way of organizing information in the brain and reforming neural connections. We dream of mundane things like buying groceries or crazy things like diving deep underwater. Dreams are very interesting, and a lot of effort has been put into interpreting dreams and gaining insight from them.
In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the most common dreams people have and what experts think they mean.
Dreams About Falling
Dreaming about falling is probably the most common one on the list. Any type of fall can be dreamt about from falling from a great height to just falling on your back after slipping on water. You might have even experienced a knee-jerk reaction where you bolt upright as you wake up on your mattress in Orange County!
Falling in your dreams can mean that something in your life isn’t going well. You’re unhappy with your situation but feel helpless in fixing it, and your brain is trying to tell you to let things go and try something new.
Another interpretation is quite scientific—it’s called the hypnic jerk. It refers to the involuntary movements our body makes while we’re falling asleep. Some experts say it’s an evolutionary tactic that helped our ancestors be wary of predators even while asleep, while others think it just happens as a result of stress or overstimulation.
A lot of people get hypnic jerks in their lifetime. Most aren’t felt and won’t wake us up. Some are quite intense and wake us up right away.
Dreams About Being Naked
Ever been in your birthday suit in your dreams? Don’t worry—you can’t get arrested for indecent exposure in a dream!
Being naked in your dream shows that you want to be your true self. In real life, you’re wearing clothes that hide your body because you’re afraid of being made fun of, getting rejected, or being considered unattractive. But in your dreams, you can be who you really are.
Dreams About Getting Chased
Whether it’s an animal, a human being, or something unknown, being chased in your dreams is super scary. You wake up with your adrenaline pumping even if you have been stationary all along!
Researchers suggest that dreaming about being chased means that you’re trying to avoid something in real life. If you’re being chased by an animal, it means you’re ignoring your own emotions and feelings about something. If you’re being chased by a person, you’re ignoring that person in real life or have suffered trauma because of that person. If you’re chased by the unknown, it could mean you have unresolved or repressed trauma.
Dreams About Teeth Falling Out
This dream is no doubt the most unique of all the dreams on this list. How many people in real life have you heard of that lost all their teeth in one go? There are several meanings to these dreams.
The first common one has something to do with your appearance. Just like hair, people groom their teeth to make themselves look prettier, whether it’s through whitening, straightening, or just cleaning their teeth. Losing teeth in your dream might mean that you’re insecure about your appearance.
Another popular theory is that it has something to do with how you communicate. Perhaps you said something embarrassing to a loved one that you desperately want to forget, or perhaps you’re just anxious about talking to strangers in general. Falling teeth represent this lack of good communication.
Dreams About Death
If there’s one thing more certain yet uncertain in life, it’s death. It occurs every day yet still nobody knows what happens after it. In dreams, death represents this fear of the unknown. You could be dreaming about it not just because you’re afraid of dying, but also because you’re afraid of any unanticipated changes in things that are yet to come.
Interestingly, studies have shown that people on the verge of dying have more comforting dreams. In their dreams, they report feeling a comfortable presence, making preparations for their death, and reuniting and spending time with dead loved ones. Some also report more tragic dreams about things they wish they could have changed before dying.
Dreams About Taking a Test
If you’ve ever dreamed that you were back at school stressing about a quiz, then you’re not the only one! This is a surprisingly common dream that might mean you’re dreading failure or rejection. Maybe you’re worried about failing an actual quiz in real life, getting rejected for a job interview, or going on a first date with someone you really like.
It’s also possible you’re scared of being unprepared in tricky situations, like being in the middle of a pandemic or moving to a new country.
Dreams About Cheating on Your Partner
Dreaming about infidelity can be really traumatic for some people, especially those who struggle with trust issues and jealousy in their romantic relationships. That’s probably why they’re dreaming of it in the first place—they’re so caught up about everything that could go wrong in their relationships that they start dreaming of it too. Your brain starts imagining what would happen if it ever happens!
Luckily for you, dreaming about a cheating partner doesn’t indicate your partner is a cheater in real life. However, you would need to work on your relationship problems if these dreams are a regular occurrence.
Dreams About Flying
Flying is one of the more exhilarating dreams you can have. Streaking across the sky, jumping high only to never come back down, feeling that weightlessness course through your body—it’s a liberating experience!
Some people consider flying dreams a desire for independence. Maybe you want to escape your taxing job, an unfulfilling relationship, or an unhappy household. Maybe you’re sick of being cooped up at home and want to travel the world, or maybe you’re sick of being in the closet and want to come out loud and proud! Dreaming of flying is a way for your brain to experience these desired feelings.
On the other hand, dreams about flying can be nightmares for some people if they’re afraid of heights.
Dreams About Being Pregnant
Dreams where you’re pregnant can be trippy! You wake up and reach for your bump like clockwork only to find a very non-pregnant belly, and you breathe a sigh of relief. While pregnancy can be a very happy occasion for some people, you really wouldn’t want to wake up pregnant all of a sudden!
Pregnancy dreams have several meanings. Firstly, you could be either pregnant, thinking about getting pregnant, or had recently been pregnant. It could also mean that you’re anticipating something new in your life, like working a new job or moving to a new home. Lastly, it could mean that you’re very stressed over something—your brain will then process your complex emotions and give you complex dreams.