9 Common Nightmares and What They Mean

9 Nightmares and What They Are Trying to Tell You

Sleep is supposed to be restful, but sometimes it can be quite the opposite. Sometimes, it ends up with you waking up in a cold sweat or fearful of a monster under your bed. Nightmares drain us of our energy, turning something that should recharge us into something dark and terrifying. But could it be a clue into our subconscious? Nightmares can contain different things for different people. It's far from the generic Bogeyman or the girl from The Ring. Nightmares actually have distinct themes and can tap into your particular traumas, illnesses, and stresses. And these clues certainly shouldn’t be ignored because they can be your subconscious trying to tell you something. So today, we're going to look at some of the most common nightmares and what they might be trying to tell you.

Number 1 – Drowning It feels a little too real sometimes. Your lungs getting heavy as they fill with water, the water pressure taking over you, the feeling of suffocation. These nightmares can either show you drowning or someone forcibly drowning you while you struggle to get out. It can be scary, and waking up flustered and confused about your surroundings is normal. But you should also know that your subconscious is trying to communicate to you that it is overwhelmed. If you are going through a phase where everything feels too much, you might feel like you're drowning whether that's in work or with family obligations. These dreams might also be telling you to finally address the issues you've been suppressing for a while now. Bottling up your emotions and avoiding conflict can also lead to feeling suffocated. If you frequently dream of drowning, it might be time to take a step back and evaluate your life. Prioritize and address past issues for closure.

Number 2 – Silent Scream Have you ever screamed and felt like nobody was listening? The frustration of feeling ignored or unheard is real, and reality can easily manifest as a nightmare in your subconscious. These dreams are common with people who don't feel seen or heard in a relationship, or with people holding on to some form of bitterness. It's a sign of helplessness because it seems like your cries for help aren't loud enough. You might also have these dreams if you withhold information you want to let out to someone. In situations like these, a calm, honest, and open conversation works best. It will help take the load off, and you might get better sleep.

Number 3 – Partner Leaving Or Cheating We've all seen the jokes about women dreaming that their boyfriend cheated on them and then waking up in real life to slap the boyfriend for something he didn't actually do. But is it really that funny? These dreams reflect deep insecurity and trust issues in the relationship. It could be because you don't feel good enough, either physically or emotionally, or because of some past argument that never saw closure. These nightmares also come about in people who felt abandoned by their exes or their parents. Once again, an open and honest conversation will better your relationship and help that anxiety.

Number 4 – Dying Or Dealing With Death This one is definitely a more unsettling nightmare to have. Viewing your own death in a dream can be pretty traumatic, and viewing a loved one's death can shake you up. But death in dreams isn't an ominous warning; rather, it's a sign of personal transformation! Your subconscious mind views death not as the end of life but the end of something you were comfortable with. It can mean embarking on a new journey in your life, moving countries, anything that has a definite chapter end for your previous phase. When you have these dreams, it's best to take time and reflect on these changes and let go of anything that no longer serves you. This will allow you to make space for new opportunities. So, though they are nightmares, this one actually has a more positive spin to it.

Number 5 – Creepy Crawlies Ever see a bug in the distance and then immediately get the feeling it's crawling on you? Dreaming about snakes, spiders, and other creepy crawlies can actually represent a person in your life that's toxic and harmful to you. They have negative energy, or they intimidate you somehow with their words or actions. Snakes especially are associated with toxic people. If you ever have this dream, it's best to rethink key relationships in your life and cut out anyone that's making you feel unloved or unsafe.

Number 6 – Being Trapped Whether it's a kidnapping or you're stuck running through an endless hallway, having a dream about being trapped is an indication of conflict in your life. Simply put, you feel trapped in a situation or by a person, and you're trying to get out, which is causing conflict. If you have these nightmares, it might be a good idea to re-evaluate your values and priorities. Do you really want to be helping plan your cousin's fifth wedding? Or baking a cake for your boss' birthday? Or continuing to stay in an abusive relationship? If you're hurting yourself trying to accomplish something for other people, know that it's not worth it. Say 'no' and move forward.

Number 7 – Falling The dream of falling from a great height and dropping into your body in reality sure is an uncomfortable one, but it's not uncommon. It's a subconscious response to feeling unanchored. If, in reality, you've been roaming about with no concrete plans or goals in mind, you might feel like you're free-falling with no idea where you're going to land. In a less obvious way, it can mean a crucial relationship ended or you lost your job, which is making you feel a bit lost. To quiet these dreams, it might be a good idea to get your life back on track after the event and set yourself some goals to work toward.

Number 8 – Being Chased In a dream, running away from something or someone is linked to avoidance in real life. Basically, you're avoiding something that, if not dealt with properly, will haunt you forever. And the only way to stop it is to face the issue head-on. What are you running away from? And why does it frighten you so much? Mustering up the courage to face the problem will be better for both your quality of life and quality of sleep.

Number 9 – Missing Important Events Job interviews, exams, parties; all of these events in our lives give us status and meaning in our society. And missing these events can leave you feeling helpless, anxious, or embarrassed. But what is the base emotion here? It's disappointment; that you couldn't live up to the expectations you set for yourself. These dreams occur when a person sets lofty goals, like making 100 million dollars in a year and then failing. If you keep frustrating yourself like this, you will have this dream a lot! The way to help this is to ask yourself, are your goals realistic?

Can you achieve them in a realistic amount of time? Take a look inward at your own capabilities and be kind to yourself. Nightmares, though scary, can give us a much-needed wake-up call about what we need to do for ourselves. Think of it as a preview or trailer for the worst-case scenario; something that gives you an idea of how to mitigate the crisis and take care of yourself. So next time you have a bad dream, pick up a pen and paper and write it down. It will help you understand what might have triggered it and what it's trying to tell you.

Do this enough, and you will stop fearing nightmares and see them for what they are. Subconscious messages. So, what's your most memorable nightmare? And what was happening in your waking life at the time? Share with us in the comments below. If you enjoyed this video, give it a thumbs-up, and share it with your friends, so we can keep making them.