Having Weird Dreams? The COVID-19 Pandemic Could Be To Blame

The world has been nothing short of turned upside down from the coronavirus pandemic, and people everywhere are experiencing disruptions to sleep because of it. Namely, many of us might be experiencing more strange (and even scary) dreams as of late, which some people have begun calling "pandemic dreams."

While the science behind dreaming is still somewhat elusive, some experts theorize that our dreams are a result of our brain logging memories and information gathered from the day. "You bring what you listen to, watch, and think about all day into your sleep so that memory can be consolidated," Selhub explains. "So oftentimes, these thoughts will show up in your dreams."

With so many of us checking the news before bed to stay up to date on the pandemic, we could be setting ourselves up for a pandemic dream. According to research following the 9/11 attacks1, exposure to unsettling news can absolutely creep into your sleep and affect our dreams. We also know the amygdala is active in dreaming2, which plays a central role in our biological response to fear.

The weird dreams we're having right now may have once offered us an evolutionary advantage, Selhub explains: "From a very basic level, if you're being chased by a lion, the last thing you want to do is sleep. So when the brain perceives your life is under threat, the fight-or-flight response is set off, resulting in the production of stress hormones like noradrenaline, which ensure you stay hyper-aroused and hypervigilant."

With stress hormones coursing through our brains even after we close our eyes, that could explain why our dreams have been a bit wonky. Even the anticipation of what-ifs can set off that fight-or-flight response, Selhub explains.

"COVID-19 presents all of us with a threat to our livelihood, whether it's fear of getting sick, the economic uncertainty, or just uncertainty in general as our world changes," Selhub says. "To the brain, uncertainty is no different from being chased by a lion; they are both threats."

Another factor to consider is the abrupt change to our usual schedules. Previous research has shown that new experiences spur the release of memory-boosting chemicals in the brain4, meaning it's possible our unique and rapidly evolving new circumstances are actually causing our brains to consolidate on overdrive.

If our dreams really are the product of memory consolidation as Selhub suggests, this more rapid consolidation process could potentially make us more likely to experience more intense (and complex) dreams.

Dreams can be full of personal insight and lessons if you're into that sort of thing, but they can also cause sleep disturbances and lead to grogginess the following morning. Fortunately, being sure to nurture your body with nutritious foods, movement, and mindfulness practices can help quell those stress hormones and help you rest easier.