If you've been having weird or very vivid dreams since you started working from home, you're not alone.
"Having unusual dreams is not surprising at all," said Dr. Rudy Nydegger, a clinical psychologist in Clifton Park.
Nydegger says right now, many of us are experiencing what's called “sleep architecture” differently than we normally would.
"When we're not using our usual schedule and we alter our sleeping patterns, this changes how much time we spend asleep and when the stages occur," Nydegger said.
But that's not all: Nydegger says high stress, worrying about our families, getting sick, and our finances can contribute. Plus, if you feel like you're living the movie “Groundhog Day” each day, dreams may be your imagination at work.
"When we don't have our normal activity levels, our normal interactions, normal kinds of things to think about and deal with, our brain's going to come up with other stuff," Nydegger said.
Nydegger says if you remember your dreams, don't read too much into what they mean or bother using a dream analysis website to look them up.
"Psychologists used to make a big deal out of dream content. 'What was the dream about?' In all honesty, most of the dream material is just random activity going on in your brain," Nydegger said.
While most dreams occur in the REM, or rapid eye movement, stage of sleep, which tends to be just after you fall asleep and just before you wake up, Nydegger says nightmares tend to happen in a deeper stage of sleep. But if your dreams or nightmares are bothersome, there's a relatively easy fix.
"Have a fairly normal sleeping pattern," Nydegger said. "That doesn't mean you have to get up at 7 o'clock in the morning like you do going to work, but pick a time and say, 'I'm gonna get up at the same time,' and it actually turns out to be more important to fix the time you wake up than the time you go to bed."
Some other tips from Dr. Nydegger:
- Avoid eating or drinking, especially stimulants before bed. That includes alcohol.
- Turn off the screens, relax, meditate, or pray if you choose.
- Do regular activities to help your brain adjust to all these changes. Work out at home or go outside while maintaining social distancing, and be sure to call or video chat with friends and loved ones.