What Your Dreams Reveal about You and Your Life

Over time, you’ve disconnected with your environment and relationships. You’ve started, little by little, to be more authentic with yourself and the world around you.

Did you know, your dreams can actually explain a lot about what is going on with your subconscious self?

Whether you’re depressed

Depressed people start dreaming much sooner than others, as early as 45 minutes after falling asleep, rather than the usual 90 minutes. These are other warning signs of depression.

Morning is better

Longer dreams occur in the morning hours.

Low stress means happy dreams

You’re more likely to have pleasant dreams if you’re experiencing low stress and feel satisfied in your real life.

Your political views

Self-described conservatives are more likely to have mundane, realistic dreams, while liberals have more bizarre dreams. Does that mean liberals are more open-minded? Or that they’re caught up in their own fantasies? Take your pick. Here’s what your house says about your political affiliation.

If you’re avoiding something

Do you dream about being pursued by a stranger, a monster, or a giant tidal wave? This could indicate that you’re afraid to deal with something in your waking life. Ask yourself what issue, person, or emotion you’re not confronting.

That you’ve got a heart problem

People who have frequent nightmares may be significantly more likely to suffer from an irregular heartbeat or chest pain compared with those who don’t have them, found a study of older adults. That may be because heart problems can make it more difficult to breathe at night.

Whether you’ll give up smoking for good

One study found that the more you dream about smoking and experience the guilt associated with falling off the wagon (even a phantom wagon) the more likely you may be to quit. These are our 13 favorite sleep secrets from sleep doctors.

What medications you’re taking

Many drugs are known to cause bad dreams, including antidepressants, antibiotics, statins, and some antihistamines. Don’t miss these other common causes of nightmares.

And if you should see a therapist

Recurrent or repeated nightmares that keep you from sleeping are another hallmark sign of anxiety or depression. If your nightmares surge after a disturbing event, the trauma may be too big for your brain to psychologically digest. A sleep therapist or psychologist can help.

Pictures are most common

We dream mostly in pictures, with the majority of dreams being mainly visual with little sound or movement.

Death may be near

The closer a person is to passing, the more likely he or she is to dream about loved ones who’ve passed on.

How likely you are to fight with your spouse

Did you dream about your partner’s infidelity? You just increased the chances that you’re going to argue with him or her the next day, according to a University of Maryland study. Having a “sex” dream, on the other hand, boosts feelings of love and intimacy. Here’s what your couples’ sleep position says about your relationship.

If you’re out of tune with your emotion

Many researchers believe dreams especially nightmares are your brain’s way of making sense of your experiences. If a dream reoccurs and does not change much over time, it could be a sign you’re having trouble dealing with something emotionally. To resolve those issues, consider how the dream made you feel and which real-life circumstances might be prompting those emotions in you.

What kind of problem solver you are

Those who are recognize that they’re asleep while they’re dreaming (called lucid dreamers) are 25 percent better at solving problems compared to non-lucid dreamers, according to a study published in the journal Dreaming. Researchers speculate that if you’re insightful enough to realize that you’re dreaming while asleep, then that may translate into better insight for solving problems while you’re awake.

Who you’re closest to

The people you have the strongest relationships with appear most frequently in your dreams, researchers have found. “Your dreams are a very accurate mirror of your emotional relationships,” says psychologist Kelly Bulkeley, PhD. “So when I’m analyzing your dreams, and you dream most often of your father, I can predict that you are closer emotionally to your father and that’s highly likely to be accurate.” This is what your dreams say about your personality type.

Weekends help you remember

You’re more likely to remember your dreams on weekends or days when you sleep in, because each episode of REM sleep is longer than the last.