Dreams can reflect unconscious or repressed feelings and anxieties. While a one-off dream about a pregnant woman may not be significant, frequent dreams about a pregnant may point to one of the following:
- Feelings of readiness or excitement for a pregnancy
- Anxiety about an impending or potential pregnancy
- Excitement regarding a pregnancy in your family or circle of friends
- Anticipation of a new project, responsibility, or possibility
- Anxiety about a long-term commitment (relationship, investment, career, etc.)
Studies have shown that dreams are important for emotional processing. Since many people may not feel comfortable openly expressing their emotions due to societal constraints or their own inhibitions, dreams can help them subconsciously manage those feelings.
Why do we dream?
Dreams are created by electrical impulses in the brain and typically occur during the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep. Dreams may be the result of random pieces of information that the brain picks up and then tries to make sense of during sleep.
Dreams have been the object of religious and scientific fascination for ages. In ancient cultures, dreams were thought to be messages from heaven. Psychoanalysts such as Sigmund Freud opined that dreams center around our repressed emotions and longings.
Because there is evidence that all mammals dream, evolutionary psychologists believe that dreaming may be a defense mechanism that provides an evolutionary advantage through its capacity to simulate potential threatening events and enhancing the body’s defense mechanisms.
How are dreams used in psychotherapy?
Dream journaling is often a part of psychotherapy. Some therapists may ask you to keep a record of any dreams you remember, as a dream pattern can sometimes reveal repressed memories, anxieties, and desires that act as a trigger for psychosomatic disorders or mood disorders.
Dream recall changes with age, sleep patterns, and addictions, and you are more likely to remember a bad dream than a good dream. Dreams are also easier to remember when you are woken from REM sleep.
How to prevent bad dreams
Bad dreams or nightmares may be the result of acute emotional stress, anxiety, or depression. Establishing a healthy sleep routine and practicing stress management can help you avoid nightmares and get better sleep:
- Establish a sleep routine: Following a relaxing bedtime routine can help you sleep more deeply and avoid bad dreams. Try taking a warm bath before bed, reading a book, and taking other steps before bed that help you unwind and calm down.
- Make your room comfortable: Make sure your bedroom is free of bright lights or loud sounds. Invest in a quality mattress and set your thermostat to a comfortable temperature.
- Practice meditation: Deep breathing exercises, muscle relaxation techniques, and meditation can help you reduce stress, which in turn can reduce the frequency of nightmares.
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https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2019.00140
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