Pregnancy is a time of great change, both physically and emotionally. You're growing a human being inside of you and preparing for perhaps the biggest role you'll ever play in your life - that of a mother.
It's no wonder that pregnancy dreams can be some of the most vivid, memorable, and strange dreams you'll ever have.
The types of vivid dreams pregnancy can produce are seemingly endless, but they generally fall into a few broad categories. Pregnancy dreams start with the very real and concrete changes happening in a woman's body and then expand outward into the realm of the symbolic.
This article will explore some of the most common pregnancy dreams and what they might mean. We'll also offer some tips on how to deal with anxiety-provoking dreams and how to get a good night's sleep during pregnancy.
The sleep and dream cycle for pregnant women
Often, vivid pregnancy dreams occur during the third or last trimester, when pregnancy hormones are at their highest levels. In the third trimester, many women experience more dreams and the most disturbed sleep patterns.
Dreaming occurs during the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep. This is the deepest stage of sleep. During pregnancy, you may spend more time in REM sleep than usual. This is due to the increased levels of the hormone progesterone in your body. Progesterone helps you to relax and can have a sedative effect. It also lowers your inhibitions, which may explain why you might have strange, vivid, or bad dreams during pregnancy.
More vivid dreams during pregnancy can also be how your brain processes information. As your pregnancy progresses, dreams can be a way of sorting out your feelings and anxieties about becoming a parent, or they may be symbolic representations of the hopes and fears you have for your child.
Dreams during other sleep stages and trimesters
It's not just during deep sleep that you might have vivid dreams and greater dream recall. You may also have what is known as hypnagogic hallucinations during non-REM sleep. These are brief, dream-like experiences that can occur as you are falling asleep or waking up.
You may also experience dreams during the first trimester and the second trimester, but they are usually less intense dreams compared to those during the third trimester. This is because the levels of progesterone are lower during these trimesters.
Common vivid dreams during pregnancy
Dreams often have very similar themes. Here are some of the most common dreams pregnant women tend to experience and the theories about their meanings:
Dreams about giving birth
Most women dream about giving birth during pregnancy. These dreams can be symbolic of your emotional state and the anxiety you're feeling about the birth process. Alternatively, they may simply be a reflection of your excitement about becoming a parent.
Baby dreams or dreams about your baby's face
It's not uncommon to dream about your new baby during pregnancy. These dreams are often about baby names or your baby's sex, face, or just you with your baby. The dream can also be about your baby's growth, which is symbolic of the bond you're already forming with your child.
Dreams about labor and delivery
It's not uncommon to dream about the labor and delivery process, even if you've never experienced it before. Dreams about labor and delivery can be our mind's way of preparing us for childbirth's physical and emotional challenges.
Dreams about being lost
When you dream about being lost, it can be symbolic of the feeling of being overwhelmed that pregnant women experience. With so many changes happening in our lives, it's not surprising that we sometimes feel like we're losing our way.
Dreaming about a deceased loved one can bring a mix of emotions. Learn more
Dreams about animals or baby animals
Dreaming about animals is common during pregnancy. They may be about the maternal instinct we're beginning to feel for our child, or they may represent the wild and untamed aspects of our nature that are emerging as we become mothers.
Dreams about sex
Dreams about sex during pregnancy are also quite common. They may be a way of exploring our changing sexual desires or symbolic of the new intimacy we're developing with our partner as we prepare to become parents together.
Dreams about famous people
Have you ever dreamed about a celebrity during pregnancy? These dreams are quite common. You may feel anxieties about being in the spotlight as new parents, or these dreams may be about the qualities we admire in those people.
Dreams about flying
Dreams about flying can be about the newfound freedom we're feeling as our bodies go through changes and we prepare to become parents. They may also represent our hopes and dreams for our children.
Dreams about falling
Dreams about falling are also common during pregnancy. They may symbolize the feeling of being out of control that we often experience as our bodies change and our lives are turned upside down by pregnancy. Alternatively, they may represent our fears about the challenges of parenting.
Dreams of pregnant women
Dreams about other pregnant women can be a way of exploring our own feelings about pregnancy. Alternatively, they may represent the support we're seeking from others during this time.
Dreams about water
Dreams about water are common during pregnancy. These may come from the emotional ups and downs we're experiencing, or they may represent the life-giving power of the womb. The amniotic fluid surrounding our baby in the womb is often referred to as "the waters of life."
Dealing with pregnancy nightmares
While most common pregnancy dreams are positive or neutral, some women do experience bad dreams and nightmares that affect their sleep patterns. Bad dreams during pregnancy may also be a way of working through our anxiety about the birth process or becoming parents.
According to a study on BMC Pregnancy, nightmares also often occur during the third trimester. Some common nightmares or unpleasant dreams during pregnancy include:
- Dreams about losing the baby
- Dreams about the baby being born with deformities
- Dreams about being unable to care for the baby
- Dreams about being rejected by the baby
- Dreams about being separated from the baby
- Dreams about the baby dying
- Dreams in which the baby is kidnapped
- Dreams about being unable to breastfeed
- Dreams in which the mother dies
If you have increased dreaming and nightmare frequency during pregnancy, you can do a few things to help lessen their intensity.
First, try to identify real-life stressors and take steps to reduce them. This may involve talking to your partner about ways to divide household chores, asking for help from friends or family, reading up on parenting tips, or taking a break from work if possible.
Second, make sure you're getting enough rest. Pregnancy can be exhausting, both physically and emotionally. Make sure to schedule some time for yourself to do things you enjoy, whether it's listening to music, taking a bath, or going for a walk. You may also start a dream journal to help you process your dreams and gain insight into their meaning. Psychiatry research has shown that writing down dreams and analyzing them can help reduce nightmare frequency and intensity.
Third, try to improve the quality of your sleep and sleep patterns. Peer-reviewed journals confirm that sleeping on your left side can help reduce the frequency of nightmares. This sleep position allows for better blood flow to the baby and can also help reduce heartburn and indigestion.
When you wake up from pregnancy-related dreams feeling tired, agitated, or stressed, try to take some slow, deep breaths and remind yourself that it was just a dream. It can also be helpful to talk to your partner or a trusted friend about the dream to help you process it.
When to seek help
Pregnancy is an amazing time, full of new experiences and changes. For many pregnant women, dreams can be one of the most memorable aspects of this time. Whether you're flying high or falling hard, such dreams are normal and can give us insights into our hopes, fears, and desires as we prepare to become parents.
If you're having nightmares during pregnancy that is causing you distress or interfering with your sleep, it's important to seek help from your healthcare provider or sleep specialist. They can assess whether there is an underlying cause for your intense dreaming and recommend treatment options. For example, you may find it difficult to wake from your nightmares or have difficulty distinguishing between sleep and reality. In this case, you may be experiencing sleep paralysis.
Learn more about the Third Eye.
Your pregnancy dreams are completely normal
Vivid dreams during pregnancy, including greater dream recall, are normal and usually nothing to worry about. Pregnancy is a time of big changes in a woman's body, and frequent dreaming may be a way of making sense of all the emotions you're feeling.
If you're having bad dreams or nightmares, try to identify any stressors in your life and take steps to reduce them. You can also talk to your healthcare provider about ways to cope with your anxiety, changing hormones, and physical changes.
Achieving quality sleep can also help reduce the frequency of nightmares. If you find this article helpful, BetterSleep also offers several tips on getting a good night's sleep, from exercise and relaxation techniques to sleep aids.
Vivid dreams during pregnancy, including greater dream recall, are normal and usually nothing to worry about. Pregnancy is a time of big changes in a woman's body, and frequent dreaming may be a way of making sense of all the emotions you're feeling.
If you're having bad dreams or nightmares, try to identify any stressors in your life and take steps to reduce them. You can also talk to your healthcare provider about ways to cope with your anxiety, changing hormones, and physical changes.
Achieving quality sleep can also help reduce the frequency of nightmares. If you find this article helpful, BetterSleep also offers several tips on getting a good night's sleep, from exercise and relaxation techniques to sleep aids.
