If you’ve been noticing that your dreams during lockdown have been a little different, you’re not alone. Millions of people’s lives have been drastically altered in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. We’ve had to deal with lockdown, isolation, and even financial insecurity. Following some of these huge changes, many people have taken to social media to report that their dreams have been intense and vivid. But what does this mean?
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If you’re among those who have been experiencing out-of-the-ordinary dreaming patterns, there’s likely a valid reason. And according to sleep experts, the Covid-19 lockdown may actually have something to do with it.
Anyone else having MAD dreams during this isolation period ??
— Keelin O'Farrell (@KeelinOFarrell1) March 29, 2020
Strange dreams for strange times
According to scientists specialising in snoozing, the stress and anxiety we feel in our day-to-day lives can have an impact on the nature of our dreams. With the uncertain and frightening times the world is facing right now, it’s unsurprising that stress and anxiety are prominent feelings for most of us.
been having the most vivid complex dreams every single night of quarantine
— Hannah (@hannahg11) April 5, 2020
Psychologist Courtney Bancroft explains, “When we see heightened levels of stress, we often see heightened levels of vivid dreams happening.
Our brains get flooded with all sorts of neurotransmitters and chemicals, like adrenaline and epinephrine. When they’re activated, even if it’s during the day, it can actually remain present while you’re sleeping, and that can interrupt the regular sleep cycle a bit and cause those vivid dreams,” she told Today.
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A reflection of your unconscious mind
Meanwhile, dream analyst and author Layne Dalfen says the powerful dreams some of us may be experiencing could be related to how well we’re processing the feelings we’re having surrounding the global health crisis.
“The dream at the first level is related to you, the dreamer. How are you managing? If you’re having feelings about the coronavirus, you might not be expressing the full thrust of how you’re managing. Whatever it is that you’re holding in, the antidote is in the nightmare or the recurring dream,” she told Refinery29.
The synopsis of the 5 dreams in the NEW series titled CovidVirus Dreams. It is a perfect way for me to illustrate for you that we are problem-solving in our dreams and the dreams provide the solutions! Please comment & share! https://t.co/FXZwjIGbKV
— Layne Dalfen (@dreamanalyst) April 2, 2020
The content of our dreams is our psyche’s way of communicating with us. Layne recommends asking, “What is it about the world event that’s impacting you personally?” Once you pinpoint what it is that’s making you anxious, you can begin dealing with it effectively. When you feel more at ease, your vivid dreams may fade.
If you’d like to know more, Layne posts informative dream analysis videos to her Instagram regularly. She acknowledges that many peoples’ dreams during lockdown are rather bizarre because our brains are trying to solve problems in our sleep. In the video below, Layne discusses why certain thoughts or images repeat themselves in our dreams.
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By Features Writer Ashton Kirsten
