How Pregnancy Affects Dreams

It is common for sleep to be disrupted during pregnancy by bathroom breaks, fetal movements, or other events. However, for some people, one of the more unexpected side effects of pregnancy may be the changes to the way they dream.

Strange pregnancy dreams are common, but some may find them disconcerting. It may help to understand the reasons why your dreams change, and to know that it is normal to experience detailed and sometimes frightening dreams during pregnancy.

Why Does Pregnancy Affect Dreams?

Vivid dreams and nightmares are common during pregnancy. Many women also report greater dream recall Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source during pregnancy, even for those who were not usually accustomed to remembering dreams. Vivid dreams are likely the body’s way of sorting through the many feelings and emotions that arise during pregnancy, both positive and negative Trusted Source Wiley Online Library Wiley Online Library is one of the largest and most authoritative collections of electronic journals published by Wiley, as well as a vast and growing collection of reference works and other books. View Source . 

Researchers believe that dreams may be a way for a person’s subconscious Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source to work through issues that are currently on their mind. Unsurprisingly, many pregnant women report pregnancy-related dreams Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source . They may dream about being pregnant or dream that they are meeting their baby for the first time.

Pregnancy can be a time of great joy and anticipation as you prepare to welcome your new baby. However, it is also natural to feel stress during this time, along with anxiety about labor and delivery. The content of your dreams may help you identify areas with which you are especially preoccupied.

Pregnant people who report feeling more anxious or depressed during the day are more likely to experience bad dreams. Similarly, research consistently finds that first-time mothers tend to have more pregnancy-related dreams than those who have already had children.

While pregnancy-themed dreams may be partly due to hormones, similar dreams have also been known to occur after giving birth Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source and in partners of pregnant people. Talking through dreams with your partner may help both of you to assimilate your changing roles

Help Your Baby Sleep Better With Pediatric Sleep Coaching

our partner at sleepdoctor.com

Learn More

“Life-changing! My anxiety about my son’s sleeping habits were immediately reduced after talking to Sara. She went above and beyond to tailor a schedule to our goals, answer our questions, keep us on track, and check in to encourage us when we just thought we couldn’t do it anymore.”

Rachael B. – Verified Customer

Available for All Ages

Specialized coaching for babies, toddlers, preschoolers/kindergarteners, and school-age children.

Personalized Plan

Personalized sleep training plan based on the specific situation and needs of your family.

Unlimited Support

Access to pediatric sleep consultants who will answer any questions you have as quickly as possible.

Does Pregnancy Impact the Sleep Cycle?

Daytime fatigue is a commonly cited reason for the increase in dreams during pregnancy. It seems logical that people who are tired will nap more, leading to more opportunities for dreaming. However, pregnancy causes profound changes to nighttime sleep, as well.

As we sleep, we progress through various sleep stages. Dreaming tends to occur during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, at the end of each sleep cycle. During a regular night, we may experience four or five episodes of REM sleep, but we often forget our dreams by the time we wake up several hours later.

For many pregnant people, pregnancy-related discomfort causes fragmented sleep with multiple nighttime awakenings. Interestingly, these disruptions may actually cause pregnant people to get less REM sleep overall Trusted Source Oxford Academic Journals (OUP) OUP publishes the highest quality journals and delivers this research to the widest possible audience. View Source . However, people are usually more likely to remember their dreams if they wake up in the middle of a dream cycle, making it appear that pregnant people have more dreams.

Changing hormones may also contribute to altered sleep patterns during pregnancy. Not only do hormones cause a flux of emotions during the day, but some researchers also theorize that the increase in vivid, detailed dreams may be linked with higher levels of progesterone Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source that arise in late pregnancy.

Should I Be Worried About Vivid Dreams During Pregnancy?

In most cases, vivid dreams during pregnancy are a normal and healthy way to process emotions. In fact, several studies have found that mothers who had unpleasant dreams during pregnancy show higher levels of depressive symptoms during pregnancy, but go on to have shorter labors Trusted Source Elsevier Elsevier is a publishing company that aims to help researchers and health care professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. View Source and a lower risk of postpartum depression . 

Improving the quality of your sleep and reducing nighttime awakenings may help cut down on vivid dreams. Try following pregnancy sleeping tips such as sleeping on your left side and avoiding large meals before bed to reduce disruptions to your sleep. 

Keeping a dream journal may help you decipher thought patterns and prevent nighttime worries from keeping you awake. You can also reach out to your support system or try meditation, yoga, or other prenatal courses. Feeling more secure and confident about your pregnancy can help you relax at night so you can get better sleep.

If pregnancy nightmares are making it difficult to sleep or causing you anguish, or if you are having a recurring nightmare, you should mention this to your doctor or therapist. While dreams should not necessarily be taken literally, they may reflect underlying stressors or problems. Your doctor can order tests to rule out an underlying sleep disorder and ensure there is no cause for concern for you or your baby.