Causes of Weird Dreams

Just last month I had this dream, where I was locked in a room which had no doors or windows. In my dream, I was trying hard to find a way out, but was unsuccessful. When I woke up in the morning and recalled the strange dream I had, it left me wondering, why did I suddenly find myself in a dead end situation in my dream. As I had read somewhere that our dreams are a means used by our subconscious mind to bring forth the issues, thoughts and feelings that affect us in some way, I realized that in my professional life, I was facing an obstacle, which I had no solution for! So, my dream was actually highlighting the situation that I was facing in my real life! Thus, for all those who are experiencing some strange dreams and want to know the reason behind them, they should introspect the happenings in their real life and try to connect them to their dreams. Probably, by doing this, they can find solutions to get rid of the same.

Why do we have Weird Dreams?

As mentioned above, weird dreams could result from some situation that a person is experiencing in his real life. Sometimes, certain unresolved issues in one's life, may lead to weird dreams. Something that might have happened long ago, probably in one's childhood can start showing up in a person's dreams, all of a sudden, in one's youth! The working of the human mind is strange and anything can happen anytime. That's why, if the dreams are causing disturbed sleep and resultant fatigue the next day, affecting one's work and life, it is better to consult a dream analyst for an accurate interpretation of the same.

Another theory says that if a person is under some sort of stress, anxiety or depression in one's real life, he can experience strange or bad dreams. Mental trauma, such as the end of an important relationship or the death of a near one, can show itself in one's dreams and disturb a person immensely. Besides this, the kind of diet a person takes, has a direct bearing on his dreams too. Researches have shown that eating spicy foods, fatty foods or overeating at dinner time, can increase metabolism and raise the body's temperature. This results in increased brain activity and hence causes weird dreams, improper and disturbed sleep in a person. Excessive consumption of alcohol or those who have recently given up alcohol and are facing various alcohol withdrawal symptoms, may experience strange dreams too.

Lastly, certain medical conditions and diseases are other reasons for weird dreams. High fever, sleep apnea and other sleeping disorders may produce strange dreams and nightmares in people. If a person is on medication, weird dreams could be one of its side effects. Antidepressants, narcotics, tranquilizers and beta-blockers are some of the medicines which are known to cause strange dreams.

How to Get Rid of Weird Dreams?

In order to get rid of weird dreams, a person should learn how to relax and manage stress in his life. Exercising everyday, undertaking yoga and meditation, sleeping and waking up at the same time daily and sleeping for seven to eight hours at night, are some of the ways to keep stress at bay. Taking a light dinner and giving up on spicy, fattening foods, help too. Changing the medication, if it is causing weird dreams, treating the possible illnesses behind it, giving up on alcohol, refraining from watching horror or thriller movies just before bedtime, are some other ways to get rid of bad dreams. However, if none of these work and the strange dreams start occurring repeatedly, a therapist or a dream analyst should be consulted, to arrive at the root cause and accordingly, treatment for the same should be sought.

Usually, it is seen that people who are sensitive and imaginative, tend to absorb a lot from the environment around them and thus, they are the ones who are more prone to experiencing weird dreams. By staying relaxed, stress-free, positive and happy, a person can get rid of bad dreams. And there are always therapists to help a person out of this situation!