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From Zoom Calls To Face Masks, The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Making People Dream Unusually

by Gizel Menezes
From Zoom Calls To Face Masks, The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Making People Dream Unusually

A young woman working from home kept entering the wrong Zoom meeting multiple times. The people in the meeting were confused, and each time she had to leave the Zoom meeting, embarrassed.

Similarly, a woman kept stitching striped face masks all might, in her car, at her dining table, in her shower, while another woman broke into a friend’s house to sleep with her Golden Retriever, which she never had in the first place.

These are just a few of the unusually vivid dreams that have people have been experiencing throughout the pandemic.

https://twitter.com/TravlingYoyo/status/1253190076508581888

Coronavirus Pandemic Is Making People Dream All Things Vivid!

‘Coronavirus pandemic dreams’ have become an actual thing now and a large number of people around the world have been reporting them. Many have been sharing their dreams on Twitter with the #pandemicdreams.

Dreams not only help us cope with situations but also reflect reality. The stress of a pandemic, along with family, work, and mental troubles are causing people to have vivid, unusual dreams.

 

Also Read: According To A New Study, Napping May Be Good For Your Heart And Your Health

Why Are People Experiencing Such Dreams?

According to experts, these vivid dreams are normal. They say it is our brains’ way of processing all the stressful information we consume each day as the pandemic continues.
“We normally use REM sleep and dreams to handle intense emotions, particularly negative emotions,” Patrick McNamara, an associate professor of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine, told NatGeo. “Obviously, this pandemic is producing a lot of stress and anxiety.” Which is why people have been dreaming of others deliberately coughing on them or even scary Zoom calls.
Likewise, we might also dream of past chapters in our life that were less stressful. With the pandemic putting us in a very stressful situation, our brains are trying to find a time when things weren’t like that.
Image Courtesy: It’s Time, Eat Right

People Are Also Unusally Remembering Most Of Their Dreams

Most people are also remembering dreams more clearly than they were in the pre-coronavirus period. Experts say that it’s because many are experiencing lower quality sleep. Most of us are not following regular schedules, sleeping irregularly and even adapting to new methods of socializing.
As per the NatGeo report, “Frequent awakenings, also called parasomnias, are associated with increased dream recall. Latent emotions and memories from the previous day can also influence the content of dreams and one’s emotional response within the dream itself.”
Some people, relieved from the commuting and everyday hustle, are also getting the opportunity to catch up on more sleep, leading to more REM cycles and better dream retention.
Are you experiencing vivid dreams too? Let us know in the comments below. If you’re interested you can also look at this website, I dream of Covid, which has been recording dreams of people all around the world, with beautiful illustrations.
Till then, enjoy them vivid dreams!

 

 

First Published: April 23, 2020 8:28 PM