I’ve recently been asked about sleep and dreams and poor sleep quality. Its an area of interest because I too had a recurring dream that drove me balmy. And don’t get me started on the 3am eye pop moment – which inevitably ends up with a lovely (read “frustrating”) internal argument about needing to fall asleep before writing off the whole next day to fatigue!
Firstly, when it comes to understanding your dreams, can I please ask you to stop wasting money on dream books. Unless you like reading the musings of Carl Jung, or have strong allegiance to the “Collective Conscious” the only people to benefit from these books are the people raking in moola from the royalties.
There is substantial literature to suggest that dreams are more than just a biochemical reaction or an uncontrolled neurological activation . Many of us working in mental health have observed correlations between our clients’ waking life circumstances, and the quality and quantity of their dreams and sleep.
You know I will always tend towards referring you to a professional when managing issues that cause distress, but here is a quick list of four things to try if sleep and dreams are giving you a headache:
1) Start keeping a journal
Its a fabulous way to observe the pressures and stressors that may be at play in your waking hours. Do you have chronic health issues you are battling? Are you in conflict with your partner? Is work more pressured than normal?
2) Look for links and symbols
Did I already say that dream books are a waste of money? Let me say it again, just in case. When we are looking for symbols and links, these can be very personal things, so are potentially quite specific to our individual psychology. As a simple example, there are people I know who find dreams of the ocean very calming. As a poor poor swimmer, my dreams about the ocean tend to look like the final scenes of Titanic. Same element, two completely different meanings.
3) Experiment with lucid dreaming
Research suggests that dreams are a way of processing threats. So what if we actively engaged a conscious dream where we can see ourselves as safe and in control? It it a little bit like experimenting with guided imagery, where we use our own symbols to evoke a sense of calm, or comfort or safety.
A very dear friend of mine has worked with her two mini entrepreneurs to develop just such a product for children. Check out mydreampuff.com
4) Don’t believe everything you read on the interwebs about sleep!
One thing that can be very irritating is aiming for 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep – just because that is what everyone tells you is “normal”. Sleep is actually quite complicated, and while sleep cycles and phases follow a general trend, there is definitely individual variability. If you are worried, talk to a GP, a psychologist, or a sleep specialist and get yourself accurately informed.
