Did You Know? This is How You Can Control Your Dreams
In dreams our brain processes what we have already experienced. But did you know that everyday things can affect our dreams? Like this one.
We knew that our brain does not take a break at night, but rather processes the experiences of the day (or of the past). It was less clear to us that very everyday habits and impressions can influence our dreams – for example, whether we have nightmares or can remember what we dreamt. 10 examples:
Horror Movies
No wonder that after horror shockers like “It” or “Chuckie” we were frightened by clowns and dolls – and they followed us in our dreams. Our parents were not so wrong to forbid us such movies (even if we spent most of the time under the blanket). What we do before going to bed actually affects our sleep. Be it music, a book, a TV show or a conversation – all of these things can be found in our dreams. So if we already tend to have bad dreams anyway, we should think of something nice or do something relaxing before going to bed.
Black and white television
Those who did not know color television as a child are more likely to dream in black and white than in color, a British researcher found out. There’s nothing we can do about that, but a lot of things look nicer in black and white anyway, don’t they?
Noises and Sounds
Have you ever woken up from a nightmare in which you were surrounded by siren wailing – and then found out that the siren is actually your alarm clock? Sounds can sneak into our brain at night and thus into our dreams – but they must not be too low (then we don’t hear them) or too high (then we wake up from them). Gentle sea noise or the chirping of crickets, for example, can have a positive effect on our dream behaviour.
Odors
If we smell something pleasant in our sleep, like the scent of flowers, we are more likely to have positive dreams – and vice versa: a sulphur smell can lead to nightmares. Because we sleep very deeply when dreaming, we do not wake up from such smells, but incorporate them into our dreams.
Going to bed hungry
Anyone who falls asleep with a growling stomach will probably wake up again soon – because low blood sugar levels make us sleep less well. In addition, we often dream of (mostly fatty) food on such nights. It’s better than getting drunk and eating pizza leftovers: Eat a banana and a glass of milk. The midnight snack is healthy and lets us fall asleep again quickly.
Late dinner
It is just as counterproductive as a growling stomach to eat something fatty, spicy or high in calories late in the evening. Because when digestion is running at full speed, deep sleep is out of the question. You should eat your last meal at the latest two hours before going to bed – unless you really want to remember your dreams: If you wake up within five minutes after a dream phase, you will most likely remember what you dreamt.
Sleeping in prone position
You want a little more action and excitement in your dreams? Then lie on your stomach! According to a study, belly sleepers have erotic dreams particularly often. The researchers suspect that this has to do with breathing in the prone position.
Nicotine withdrawal
Those who stop smoking not only have more hunger as a side effect, but also dream more clearly. Nicotine withdrawal stimulates brain activity (after all, our brain also has to process this withdrawal) – which also affects our dream behaviour. But don’t worry, the intense dreams will subside as soon as the neurons get used to the new situation. So hang in there! Your lungs will thank you for it.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants have mood-lifting and calming effects, but as a side effect they can cause nightmares. Studies have shown that the REM (rapid eye movement: the sleep phases in which we dream) phases are more intense in people who take such drugs – nightmares included. Before you suffer from them for a long time, you should talk to your doctor about them and change your medication if necessary.
Vitamin B6
Although it has not been scientifically proven that vitamin B6 promotes dreaming, there are reports on the net of people who have had this experience. From a biological point of view, this is not so far-fetched, because the body uses the vitamin to convert some of the amino acids ingested with food into messenger substances – and these so-called neurotransmitters also influence how intensely we dream.