Dream expert reveals four of the most common nightmares and what they mean

Dream expert reveals four of the nearly mutual nightmares and what they mean

A woman lies awake in bed at night after having a nightmare during sleep

(Image credit: Getty)

Is there annihilation more terrifying than dreaming that all of your teeth have fallen out? According to dream expert and Sunday Times best-selling author Theresa Cheung, losing your teeth is 1 of the nigh common nightmares people have.

Nonetheless, Cheung says,"Every single dream is unique and unusual. At that place is no such thing as a 'usual' nightmare, fifty-fifty ones with normally reported nightmare themes."

While nightmares are mutual, at that place are four in particular that seem to crop upwards again and once more. Cheung recently teamed up with bed retailer Happy Beds to reveal these common nightmares and why so many of usa seem to have them. Here's what she has to say…

Olympic athlete Greg Rutherford shares his bedtime routine for amend sleep
How to use the iv 7 8 sleep method to fall asleep fast

4 virtually mutual nightmares and what they mean

"Your dreaming mind is using shocking images considering information technology knows you are more likely to recollect them and ponder their pregnant than everyday dreams." According to Cheung, these are four of the nigh common nightmares and what they mean:

1. Murder
The most terrifying of them all, but not 1 to be taken literally. Cheung says: "A dream that involves a murder of some description can mean an unexpected change is beingness forced onto you." Speaking to a therapist or dr. nearly any big changes you are going through may help here, particularly if the changes feel too big or challenging to deal with lonely.

A person holds a pillow over their head because they can't sleep after having a nightmare — (Paradigm credit: Getty)

2. Apocalypse
Ever dreamt that you are in the heart of a disaster scene and experience utterly panicked? So this one is for you. "If you accept a dream that involves the apocalypse it can be a sign that your hidden feels that everything is shifting in your life and it'due south fourth dimension for a fresh beginning."

iii. Teeth falling out
This is a classic nightmare that nearly people take had at least in one case. "There could be more one reason that you're having nightmares about your teeth falling out. It could mean that you're concerned about ageing or your appearance, or even that you take unexpressed anger within."

4. Drowning
"Dreams about drowning are very common and can be disturbing, however, they're usually a sign that you're feeling emotionally overwhelmed."

1 enquiry theory about why we dream is that it helps united states to store of import memories about what we take learned in the day, and to sort through all our complex feelings and thoughts. For example, if y'all larn something new one day, you'll be able to recall it better the adjacent day after a skillful dark's sleep than if you didn't sleep at all.

Remember, says Cheung, that, "These dreams mean that at that place are feelings or situations in your electric current waking life which you are having difficulty fully processing. You should non fear nightmares. Retrieve of nightmares as a form of tough love."

How to reduce your take chances of having nightmares

Nightmares can be terrifying, particularly if y'all take a recurring one. You can finish upward fearing going to bed, which in turn has a negative issue on your slumber quality. Katherine Hall, a psychologist in slumber from Somnus Therapy, shares 5 tips and techniques to assist you avert having nightmares and enjoy more relaxing sleep:

Consistency is cardinal
At Tom's Guide we talk a lot about why bedtime routines are important for helping you to sleep well, and that includes waking upward at the same time each twenty-four hour period. Hall agrees: "Consistency is likely to result in more restful and stable sleep, preventing the likelihood of a nightmare-inducing REM rebound from sleep deprivation."

Daily relaxation practice
Do you head to bed feeling tense, stressed and worried? Then you lot are more probable to have disturbed sleep. "Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) tin be incredibly useful in helping y'all to get to sleep and reducing the stress around not being able to sleep," Hall says.

PMR is an effective grade of mindfulness recommended by many sleep experts. To use information technology, you work through each of your muscle groups, focusing on tensing and then relaxing them in plough, to reach a sense of full, head-to-toe body and mind relaxation. The above video shows yous how to do information technology.

We'd too recommend investing in the best mattress for your body to bask comfier sleep. No budget but your bed has seen better days? A mattress topper can help. With the Presidents' Day mattress sales coming up, at present is a skillful fourth dimension to purchase.

Avoid alcohol
Whatsoever slumber good will tell you lot that alcohol is bad news for slumber - it disrupts your overall slumber, leaving you waking up often throughout the dark, so you lot feel more tired the next solar day.

"Alcohol is an REM slumber blocker and causes an overall reduction in REM slumber – likewise known equally dream sleep." Hall explains. "When the alcohol starts to wear off it'southward non uncommon to experience really bright dreams or nightmares."

A man with long dark hair sleeps on his side in bed — (Prototype credit: Getty)

Expressive writing
Journalling is an excellent way to reduce worries and work through stresses ahead of hitting the bedroom, so they tin can besides help you reduce your chances of having a nightmare too.

"Expressive writing has been shown to enable the writer to amend regulate their emotions, too as helping the writer break free from the endless mental cycling of rumination," explains Hall. "Acknowledging emotions and writing them down reduces the need for your heed to constantly fight and exist in battle with any negative and stressful thoughts."

Seek treatment
"When nightmares become a frequent occurrence and [are] recurring, speaking with a professional person may exist the best choice to help discover and treat the underlying issue."

Read more:

How to fall asleep faster using the war machine sleep method
An good reveals how to ready your sleep schedule
The best retention foam mattress for all budgets

Claire is a Sleep Editor at Futurity, and writes well-nigh all things related to snoozing, from mattresses and pillows to the latest sleep advice and research. Before taking on the office of Sleep Editor, Claire worked as Health & Wellness Editor at Top Ten Reviews, and earlier that was a Senior Content Editor at T3. Claire is super-passionate about how consistent, good quality sleep can boost our physical and mental wellbeing, and would love to hear from PRs and brands regarding sleep products, services and research that can help our readers slumber meliorate than ever.