Have you ever been stressed about something right before going to bed and then find yourself still stressed while dreaming? Whether it's an exam, a family conflict, an upcoming sport's game, or just a really demanding homework problem, it is not uncommon to fall asleep thinking about these things and dream about it. Here's why.
One area of study is that when one is in REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, acetylcholine is often alone when monitoring brain activity while we are in such a state. However, it has been seen that corticol levels can be as high in a sleeping state as they were in an active state. So, if one goes to bed with high levels of stress it can then translate to higher levels of stress when one is asleep, and even when one is sleeping.
Another area or scope of study is looking considering that the brain can be in different states of sleep. REM sleep is one that is largely talked about and this is typically the state in which an individual will dream. The second state, is NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep. In this state the individual is entering deep sleep. So, essentially this area of study is taking into consideration that different parts of the brain can be in these two stages at the same time. This would explain how an individual is able to sleepwalk (but that's for another day!). If an individual is experiencing both of these at the same time, it could potentially lead to these two stages not necessarily being exclusive and potentially allowing the individual to experience stress while still in the dream state (REM sleep).
Now, here are some ways you can hopefully avoid being stressed out even in your dreams:
1. Spend time relaxing and preparing yourself for bed.
2. Practice relaxation/meditation techniques.
3. Avoid exposing yourself to the thing that is making you stressed right before going to bed.
4. If you wake up because of the dream, don't check the clock or your phone and try to practice the meditation techniques.
5. If you cannot go back to sleep, get out of bed and try to find something boring to do (funny right?); this will help your brain activity to decrease and essentially lull you back to sleep.
This topic is still being heavily researched and it isn't clear if there is a singular reason why an individual can experience stress even in their dreams. However, if you're someone who experiences these kinds of dreams, hopefully something here will provide some kind of answer or even some tips on how to manage your stressful dreams.
Resources:
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/stress-dreams-why-do-we-have-them-and-how-to-stop
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2814941/
This post does a great job of breaking down the complexity of the relationship between stress and dreams. It’s interesting to learn how stress can carry over into our dreams, especially how brain activity in REM sleep mirrors our waking state. Your explanation about high cortisol levels and the different brain states, like REM and NREM, clarifies why some nights feel more draining than others. The tips for managing stress before bed are also helpful and will encourage me to be more mindful before I sleep. I was wondering if you have any thoughts on how chronic stress during the day might affect long-term sleep quality. Could this lead to more intense stress-related dreams over time?
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated your post, I feel like I can relate to this feeling of stress when I sleep. I feel like I experience this most the night before bigger tasks like exams so having an explanation for it was quite validating. I also think your tips are helpful and made me reflect on what I do when I wake up in the middle of the night or feel like my dreams are emphasizing my stress. Your explanation of REM and NREM also helped me realize the differences between these two stages of sleep and interests me in how these could impact my energy and dreams. I am looking forward to a post about sleepwalking! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this post! I talked a bit about having stress dreams on my first physiology podcast and this post gave me more concrete remedies to deal with these stress dreams. I thought it was really interesting how you talked about dreaming about the things that are stressing us. I wonder if this phenomenon has become a psychological adaptation to prepare us for the upcoming events that bother us. Or it might just be us processing our emotions. I find dreaming and sleep so fascinating! Thanks again.
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