
Fact checked by Jonathan Eilenberg, CPE
Jonathan Eilenberg, CPE
Jonathan Eilenberg is a Certified Professional Ergonomist who is a Senior Ergonomics Engineer at Casper with over 6 years of experience in occupational injury prevention.
Weird dreams can be caused by stress, diet, changes in medication, and poor sleep hygiene, with each factor affecting the quality and content of dreams. Managing stress, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and practicing good sleep hygiene can help reduce the occurrence of strange dreams.
Do you keep having that classic (and upsetting) recurring dream where all your teeth fall out, or maybe something weirder, like giant ladybugs overrunning your town?
As bizarre as they may seem, you’re not the only one dealing with bad dreams. About 65 to 70% of people’s dreams involve a “threatening event,” anything from being chased by a bear to forgetting a doctor’s appointment.1
So what’s causing your weird dreams? The answer actually lies in the waking world.
The food you eat, your stress levels, the media you consume, and more can all have serious impacts on your sleep quality and the contents of your dreams. Learn more about what causes weird dreams—and how to stop having them—with this insightful guide.
Before you ask, “why am I having weird dreams?” it would be helpful to understand what dreams actually are. Though that’s easier said than done.
While you’re asleep, your brain is still active, making sure your body is doing essential things like breathing and removing waste from cells.2 Your brain is most active during the period of REM sleep, or rapid-eye-movement sleep.3 It’s thought that REM sleep is linked to memory and emotional processing.1
REM sleep is also when you have the most vivid dreams,1 which can often be, well, weird.
Despite lots of research and studies, dreams are still a mystery. Currently, there’s no clear connection between what happens in dreams and what they mean.1 There is, however, a connection between dreams and your waking life.
Some people (think Sigmund Freud) swear that dreams are influenced by everyday life, and reveal your innermost desires and fears.1 While this may or may not be true, your daily habits can significantly affect your dreams.
Here are the four most common reasons for weird or disturbing dreams:
If you can identify the root cause of your bad dreams, you can start to take steps toward preventing them.
Dreams alone can’t physically harm you. As some might say, they’re “all in your head.” But that doesn’t mean that weird or disturbing dreams don’t affect you beyond those first few minutes after the alarm goes off.
A disturbing dream can set the tone for the day, distracting you and setting you off balance. They can even affect your mental health and disrupt your natural sleep cycle, potentially leading to developing a sleep disorder, like nightmare disorder.3
Thankfully, there are several ways you can reduce the occurrence of weird dreams5:
Don’t let weird dreams and frequent nightmares control your sleeping and waking life. Take action today to find relief—starting with learning how to choose a new mattress from Casper.
Weird dreams can be caused by a variety of factors, some easier to manage than others. One thing you do have the power to change: your sleep hygiene.
The key to sleeping through the night lies in a quiet, distraction-free sleeping environment, consistent routines, and—most importantly—a comfortable mattress.
Casper offers dreamily soft and supportive mattresses and pillows to give you the best sleep possible.
For better sleep and pleasant dreams, choose Casper.
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