Vivid, emotional, and sometimes unsettling dreams are a common experience during pregnancy. This episode explores how sleep cycles function and why we dream. Learn why dreams may feel more intense during pregnancy, why you may recall more dreams, and the role stress and emotions can play in shaping them. Discover what research reveals about dreaming during pregnancy and practical strategies to calm your mind, help you fall back asleep, and enjoy more restful nights.

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Hi Vanessa,

I’m currently 29 weeks along, and one of the strangest things I’ve noticed lately is how vivid and bizarre my dreams have become. I’ve remembered the occasional dream here and there. Now I’m waking up almost every night with these super detailed, emotional, weird dreams that almost always involve my baby.

I know this probably seems like a silly thing to ask about. It has been happening so consistently that I started wondering if it’s a pregnancy thing. Is there a reason dreams get so intense during pregnancy? It is disrupting my sleep, and I am having a hard time falling back asleep. I would love any advice to calm my mind and sleep more peacefully.

Thank you for all the episodes and your guidance throughout my pregnancy. I look forward to your episodes every week.

-Melanie

Experiencing vivid and unusual dreams is very common during pregnancy. Not only can this be emotionally frustrating, depending on the content of your dreams, but it can also be very disruptive to your sleep. There is no such thing as a silly question. Let’s talk about the reasons why dreams feel so intense during pregnancy, examine the research on dreams during pregnancy, and discuss what you can do to calm your mind and sleep more peacefully.

Sleep Cycles

Sleep occurs in cycles that last about 90 minutes. Each cycle begins with light sleep, where the body relaxes and brain activity slows. Next is restorative deep sleep. This is when the body repairs tissues, strengthens the immune system, and regains energy. After deep sleep comes REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. During REM sleep, there is increased activity in various regions of the brain, including the visual-spatial areas, motor cortex, hippocampus (which plays a role in learning and memory), and the emotional centers. REM is essential for memory, emotional regulation, and learning.

Although you can have dreams at any stage of sleep, most occur during REM. As the night progresses, deep sleep becomes shorter and REM stages become more prolonged and more frequent. Although some people claim not to dream, everyone has dreams, but not everyone consistently recalls their dreams.

Why We Dream

Dreaming has been proposed as an overnight therapy. During REM sleep is the only time when our brain is entirely devoid of the anxiety-triggering molecule noradrenaline. Sleep expert Dr. Matt Walker argues that this allows us to reprocess upsetting memories in a safer, calmer environment. There is also evidence that dreaming improves creative problem-solving.

There are many claims that specific images from dreams represent something, but there is no scientific evidence to support this. Your pregnancy and baby are likely dominating your life right now. It makes sense to consider these in your subconscious and during sleep.

There is considerable research on dreams during pregnancy, and many hypotheses have been raised. It is thought that dreams play a role in emotion regulation. Some researchers propose that dreams might act as episodic future simulations, meaning they allow expectant mothers to mentally prepare for their future roles or for specific scenarios to avoid danger. The current research available doesn’t provide sufficient evidence to confirm these hypotheses. However, they are interesting to consider.

Sleep During Pregnancy

Fatigue is very common during pregnancy, and as a result, you may find yourself sleeping more than usual, especially in the first trimester. Data shows sleep increases in the first trimester (average 7.4 to 8.2 hours). The more time you spend sleeping, the more you dream. 

However, pregnancy also brings many challenges that can disrupt your sleep, and you are more likely to recall a dream when you wake up during a dream state. There is a long list of things that could interrupt your sleep, from heartburn to your baby moving. 83% of pregnant women report sleep disturbance due to frequent urination. About 24% of expectant mothers experience restless leg syndrome, which is more common at night and in the third trimester. 79% of pregnant mothers report difficulty finding a comfortable position during sleep. As a result, surveys show sleep decreases in the third trimester (on average, 6.6 to 7.8 hours).

The Correlation Between Stress and Dreams

Sleep disturbances can explain why you wake up and recall your dreams. The correlation between stress and dreams may help explain why your dreams are emotional and linked to your baby. Pregnancy is a unique phase where you will likely encounter additional stress. Increased levels of hormones can also make you more emotional. Plus, you may also have some anxiety about all of the unknowns of pregnancy, birth, and being a parent.

There is research that suggests nightmare frequency is correlated with daytime stress. The more stressed-out mothers reported they were during the day, the more often they had nightmares. There is also evidence that nightmares are more common during pregnancy, with the highest incidence occurring in the third trimester.

Dreams Postpartum

While the majority of pregnancy symptoms disappear after you have your baby, you may still experience vivid dreams postpartum. In one study, postpartum and pregnant women recalled infant dreams and nightmares with equal prevalence. More postpartum women reported dreams contained anxiety (75%) and the infant in peril (73%). Postpartum, more mothers reported post-awakening anxiety (41%), confusion (51%), and a need to check on the infant (60%).

Tips for Sleep

Now that you have an insight into dreams during pregnancy, and even after you have your baby, let’s discuss some things you can do to sleep better and calm your mind.

There are many reasons to work out during pregnancy, one of which is that exercise does benefit your sleep. There is evidence that pregnant women who regularly exercise have significantly enhanced sleep quality.

Optimizing your light exposure is evidence-based to improve your sleep. Maximize natural light in the morning when you wake up and throughout the day, minimize blue light exposure from devices in the evening. And avoid bright lights at night, especially between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m.

You should establish a bedtime routine to wind down. This should start with turning off your electronic devices. You could include reading, putting on pajamas, a skincare routine, and brushing and flossing your teeth. The goal is to establish a simple routine that relaxes you and signals to your brain that it is time to go to sleep.

When you are ready to get into bed, your bedroom should be a sleep sanctuary. You can reduce light with blackout curtains or an eye mask. If possible, your room should be at a cool temperature, ideally 65°F (18.3 °C). You may also want to incorporate pillows to help you get more comfortable, especially as your belly grows.

If you wake up in the middle of the night and are having trouble falling back asleep, do not pick up your phone. Try gentle breathing or meditation. You may consider journaling the dream if you want to remember the details, or think that clearing it from your mind would help you sleep better. You can redirect your mind by focusing on the feel of your sheets or noticing the sounds around you. It may be helpful to try progressive muscle relaxation, where you tense and release each muscle group, or to imagine a calming visualization to help you ease back into sleep. If you do get out of bed, try to avoid turning on bright lights if your goal is to go back to sleep.

Reducing Stress and Calming Your Mind

It is entirely normal to experience extra stress or anxiety during pregnancy. The good news is that taking steps to manage it can make a big difference in your sleep and overall well-being. There is a full episode that dives into how your stress response works and covers evidence-based tools to reduce stress.

One simple thing to be mindful of is what you are feeding your mind during the day and especially before bed. If you are watching intense shows or endlessly scrolling through social media, your brain may stay more alert, making it harder to fall asleep.

If your anxiety is tied to something specific, the best approach is often to prepare and take action. For example, if you are nervous about birth, educating yourself and creating a backup plan can help ease uncertainty. If you are worried about parenting, there are episodes and resources to help you get a head start. Concerns about maternity leave or balancing work after your baby arrives can feel overwhelming, but breaking these down and making a plan often relieves a lot of that pressure. Taking steps, even small ones, usually feels better than doing nothing and relieves some of the stress.

Melanie, your brain is in overdrive, processing everything that comes along with pregnancy and having a baby. Some of that may be stress, and some of it is also excitement. Not all pregnancy dreams are negative. There are plenty of anecdotal stories about parents coming up with their baby’s name during a dream or dreaming about their baby’s sex before they could find out. Most dreams are in some way a bit strange, but not all of them are nightmares. Hopefully, you have had a few pleasant, interesting, or entertaining dreams. While these vivid dreams can feel disruptive, they are normal and temporary.

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