What causes vivid dreams during pregnancy, and is it normal?
The change in your dreams during pregnancy can be one of the weirder symptoms you experience, with many women reporting particularly vivid dreams in early pregnancy.
All of a sudden, your mind seems able to conjure wild story lines that even soap writers would struggle to fabricate and what once was the most peaceful period of your day becomes an adventure into areas of your imagination that you didn't even know existed.
In this excerpt from Mama You Got This, an honest guide to pregnancy, expert Melissa Schweiger Kleinman explains what, why and how we experience this sudden surge in subconscious and seeks to reassure you that, however bizarre, these night time narratives are super common!
Why do I have the weirdest dreams whilst being pregnant?
Don’t worry, it’s completely normal to feel like every time you go to sleep you enter a science fiction novel. Your hormonal fluctuations could be the reason behind your nightly dose of vivid dreams, but you could also just be remembering them more clearly.
The combination of getting up to pee, tossing and turning whilst trying to find a comfortable position and feeling the baby move around in your belly keeps waking you up. When your sleep is interrupted in the middle of a REM cycle, which is the phase when you’re most likely to have vivid dreams, you’ll be more likely to remember your dreams. #
You’re about to step into one of the most exciting roles of your life and as such, you’re thinking about it all of the time, even while you sleep. Just like the nights before a big exam or your wedding, your dreams are filled with figments of what you anticipate for those big events.
Common dreams during pregnancy
Some of the most common crazy dreams of mamas-to be include representations of your baby, such as talking animals or sea creatures (your baby is indeed swimming around in your stomach).
Some mamas have dreams that their significant other is cheating on them, which represents a fear of your baby-making partner not being there for you during your motherhood journey. Before you chuck your glass of water over them, remember it’s just a dream. In fact, your partner is probably having some strange dreams themselves. Why not compare notes in the morning and have a good laugh together.
Feeling a little tired, Mama? Find out how to increase your energy levels, here!
