Nightmare Meanings: Explained

In the spirit of spooky season, we’re investigating what these seven common nightmares really mean. So grab a witchy brew and delve in with us...

Whether losing yourself in labyrinthian corridors, showing up to work in your birthday suit, or tussling with terrifying horrors from the beyond, you’ve probably had your fair share of nightmares that left you shaken and sleep-deprived.

And you've got your brain to thank for it.

You see, our brains love narrative. It’s how they interpret and organise information. And they’re not fussy about what and how, either. They just want to help us understand.

The most common nightmares stem from unresolved anxieties, and our brain’s attempts to process them. You’ve probably noticed that you experience an uptick in nightmares when you’re grappling with a problem – whether at home or at work. And, because life is complex, our brains undertake the lion’s share of this processing as we sleep, entering a sort of… freestyle session between our conscious and subconscious minds.

Taking place at a very specific sleep stage, nightmares have baffled sleep experts and psychologists alike. But, after years of research, they’ve got some fascinating theories.

So, to celebrate the arrival of spooky season, let’s explore some common nightmare meanings, shall we?

Common Nightmares and Meanings

Question: what’s the most common nightmare you can think of? The safe bet is on one of the following:

• Being chased
• Falling
• Losing teeth
• Getting injured

By presenting you with these images, your brain is trying to communicate a message to you, and it does so in an aesthetic that you’ll find appealing. For some, that’ll mean being chased by hungry zombies. For others, it’ll mean a visit from angry in-laws, but the underlying meanings are more universal.

Let's delve a little deeper...

1. Being Chased

Highly common, but always unnerving, dreams of being chased tend to indicate that you’re fleeing a problem in the waking world. And because dreams work in metaphor, you may even find that your purser is symbolic of your problem.

So, if you’re notching up dream steps on the run from something petrifying, take a moment for some self-assessment. Are you anxious about an upcoming event? Perhaps you’re avoiding a difficult conversation with a friend? Maybe you’re putting off tasks that you’re unsure how to complete?

Each of these (and more, as explored by Dr Timothy J. Legg PhD for Healthline.com) can set the stage for a frantic sprint through your psyche.

2. Falling

Dreams of falling tend to rank highly on the scare-o-meter, and for good reason.

When we fall, we experience a temporary loss of control. It’s why skydivers, bungee jumpers, and base jumpers do what they do. It can be exhilarating to surrender control.

But it can also be terrifying. After all, not everyone wants to lose control.

From a psychological standpoint, nightmares linked to falling are thought to point to underlying anxieties, or even a lack of control in everyday life. It’s no coincidence that dreams of falling are most often experienced by people who’ve recently changed jobs or moved house.

But because our brains are tricksters, the way you fall in your dream can alter the meaning. For example, a gentler fall may symbolise the gradual process of letting go of something, whereas a high-speed plummet may speak to feeling powerless.

3. Losing Your Teeth

While nightmare meanings tend to be open to interpretation, some are too obvious to misunderstand. And so, given the not-so-subtle symbolism, dreams about losing teeth are typically thought to link to concerns about appearance.

Makes sense, right? Our teeth are directly linked to our sense of self-esteem, so it’s understandable that our brains would interpret losing them as horrific.

Another (albeit outdated) theory is that nightmares about losing teeth link to financial woes, but this interpretation is a bit of a stretch.

4. Being Naked

Whether it’s standing in front of a room full of your peers, nude as a Greek statue, or simply leaving the house in nothing but your birthday suit, everyone’s had at least one dream where they’re naked.

And, as with other common nightmares, the meaning lies with the dreamer and can be interpreted in a variety of ways; positive and negative.

For example, negative readings could speak to a sense of vulnerability, or the fear of being exposed. But more positive interpretations could speak to a sense of confidence, with your nudity representing that you feel assured enough to… express yourself to the fullest.

5. Getting Injured

Pop Culture has mined this particular nightmare to delightfully petrifying effect for decades. Always visceral and never pleasant, dreams of getting physically injured speak to emotional wounds in daily life. (There’s that symbolism again.)

For example, dreams of being wounded by family or friends often indicate a fear of being rejected or abandoned, and the emotional pain that it causes.

And your brain, sadist that it is, serves you these anxieties in the most literal form it can, hence the injuries.

6. Burning Houses

Perhaps the most literal entry on our list.

Dreams of your house being on fire are more common than you’d imagine and can signify one of several things.

They can also indicate disarray in your personal life, and threats to your mental health and wellbeing.

Interestingly, this dream is more common in women, who face greater levels of scrutiny in everyday life, often leading to them pushing themselves too hard.

7. Missing Deadlines

And finally, a nightmare meaning that touches upon a universal experience.

Is there anything worse than the regret brought about by a missed opportunity? Whether romantic or professional, everyone’s got a story of a chance that slipped through their fingers, or that they failed to act upon in time.

And no matter how these dreams are presented, the meaning rings true: you’re processing your regret.

But it works pro-actively, too. For example, it could be your brain signalling that you’re at risk of missing a deadline, perhaps in your career.

Ask yourself: ‘Am I putting off something important due to a lack of confidence?” Then, do the opposite.