https://www.huffpost.com/entry/vivid-cor...jal5UsGgYA
"No, you’re not imagining it: Your dreams really have been more vivid and intense since the coronavirus pandemic began.
You’re not alone, either. Google searches of the question “Why am I having weird dreams lately?” have quadrupled in the United States in the past week as all of us struggle to understand why the pandemic and being on lockdown have seeped into our subconscious.
Poor sleep quality is partly to blame. According to a recent survey of 1,014 Americans conducted by SleepStandards, a site that reviews mattresses, 76.8% admitted their sleep has been affected.
We have dreams every night, but the better we sleep, the less likely we are to remember them in the morning. Stress fragments sleep and increases our ability to recall our dreams.
Research has shown that increased anxiety during the day can lead to more negative content in dreams ― especially during a global crisis like this. After 9/11, researchers found that the collective trauma made our dreams more intense and memorable in the days following the attacks. (You’re not alone if you recall having a plane crash dream back then.)
In this case, all those pent-up thoughts you have about you or your loved ones catching COVID-19 are bound to make it into your nightmares.
“We dream at night what we can’t think or feel during the day ― and there is a lot of unthinkable shit happening right now,” said Emily Anhalt, a clinical psychologist and co-founder of Coa, a “gym for mental fitness.”
“Add to that the guilt we feel for complaining while people are dying, and our emotions have nowhere to go,” she said. “So where do those thoughts go? They present themselves in our dreams, disguised by symbol and metaphor.” "
"No, you’re not imagining it: Your dreams really have been more vivid and intense since the coronavirus pandemic began.
You’re not alone, either. Google searches of the question “Why am I having weird dreams lately?” have quadrupled in the United States in the past week as all of us struggle to understand why the pandemic and being on lockdown have seeped into our subconscious.
Poor sleep quality is partly to blame. According to a recent survey of 1,014 Americans conducted by SleepStandards, a site that reviews mattresses, 76.8% admitted their sleep has been affected.
We have dreams every night, but the better we sleep, the less likely we are to remember them in the morning. Stress fragments sleep and increases our ability to recall our dreams.
Research has shown that increased anxiety during the day can lead to more negative content in dreams ― especially during a global crisis like this. After 9/11, researchers found that the collective trauma made our dreams more intense and memorable in the days following the attacks. (You’re not alone if you recall having a plane crash dream back then.)
In this case, all those pent-up thoughts you have about you or your loved ones catching COVID-19 are bound to make it into your nightmares.
“We dream at night what we can’t think or feel during the day ― and there is a lot of unthinkable shit happening right now,” said Emily Anhalt, a clinical psychologist and co-founder of Coa, a “gym for mental fitness.”
“Add to that the guilt we feel for complaining while people are dying, and our emotions have nowhere to go,” she said. “So where do those thoughts go? They present themselves in our dreams, disguised by symbol and metaphor.” "