Are you experiencing strange dreams?

Many people have reported disturbed sleep patterns and strange dreams during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s no wonder that during times of disruption, disruption, and crisis, people struggle to calm their minds and enjoy good, beneficial, and restful sleep.

COVID-19 has shocked all of our lives. Everything that was familiar or safe is gone and no one has been affected by its presence. People have seen family members, friends, neighbors, or colleagues get sick and perhaps die. They may have been feeling bad for a while.

Businesses have been forced to close, leaving staff and owners potentially with no income, career, or business to return to. Schools are only open to the children of key workers or vulnerable children, which means that most parents have to educate, feed and care for their children from home while possibly trying to continue working. The thriving main streets have been turned into ghost towns, as we are instructed to stay home and leave for only essential reasons.

While this change of pace has brought with it the opportunity to reevaluate our lives and our priorities, the prevailing fear and uncertainty have caused many people’s sleep patterns to be disrupted.

Dreams allow our unconscious mind to process what happens each day, to review and sometimes revise our perspective as a consequence. You’ve undoubtedly heard the phrase, ‘sleep and see how you feel in the morning,’ intended to discourage us from making hasty or hasty decisions. And yes, often after a good night’s sleep, a new way of thinking or feeling emerges.

But when it is not just us who are affected, when the news channels are saturated with statistics and instructions and we are in uncharted waters, it is understandable that these disturbing times provoke strange dreams.

Someone shared an interesting dream in which people walked in line, keeping a significant distance, without anyone looking at each other. While this is very familiar during COVID-19, it also references how distant we are becoming from each other. People distance themselves socially, they stay apart. Many people look at each other, monitor what customers do in stores or their neighbors, suspect or get angry about how others should, should or should behave. There is little eye contact in these situations.

Dreams allow our unconscious mind to resolve problems and concerns in an effort to restore a semblance of control in our lives. And so they can include unusual resources, where we fly, jump, or jump from place to place, or maybe they feature a monster, mythical creature, or celebrity that features special attributes and abilities.

Ways to help you sleep better if you have strange dreams;

During this forced time of change, our diet and drinking habits can be very different. If we wake up later, we may skip breakfast or combine breakfast with lunch, instead of grabbing a sandwich and eating to go. Our coffee habit may be different, and alcohol sales have certainly exploded. These sudden changes impact our metabolic rate and affect our sleep and dreams.

– Establish a new daily routine. Getting up at the same time, showering, getting dressed, maybe working, exercising, eating regularly, bring order to your life and help you feel more in control.

– ExerciseEspecially outdoors, it is important for stress relief and helps you sleep and dream better. By exercising mentally and physically, we will tire ourselves out and feel ready to sleep. If you can’t walk, maybe spend time in your garden or maybe use one of the many free online exercise classes that offer something for all skill levels.

– Be attentive to the diet, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Use this time to hone your culinary skills or start baking from scratch, perhaps involving other family members as well. Avoid the temptation to start drinking alcohol earlier each day or to consume too much coffee.

– Ration your time watching the news or on social media. Nothing significant has likely happened in the last hour, so avoid constantly checking for updates. Let yourself be distracted by other more positive activities.

– Count your blessings. Yes, there is a lot to be upset about, but worrying will not change that. Focus on what you have; discover benefits, gratitude and smiles throughout each day and watch your stress levels gradually decrease.

– Allot time to work and be productive. Set up a workstation and designate specific hours to work or study. Why not commit to learning a new skill, a foreign language, practicing a musical instrument, reading, or crafting? Treat this as an important time for me.

– Stay in touch with others. A phone call or an online group can be a nice way to share advice or discuss how you are feeling and how you are dealing with the situation, especially if you are alone. Maybe send a “thinking of you” card to someone who is alone. And many business owners are finding that by being more flexible they can stay in touch with customers and continue to operate to some degree.

– Record your successes and achievements. every day and have treats. A quiet bath, a reading, or a pampering session are important ways to relax, manage stress, and invest in a good night’s sleep.

COVID-19 is an unprecedented time. Be kind to yourself and gradually come to a more positive mindset. Doing this promotes a better night’s sleep and, consequently, fewer strange dreams.