Camilla Jessen
What your dreams may be saying about your health.
Dreams can often feel strange, confusing or even frightening. But according to sleep researchers, some types of dreams could actually be early signals from the body that something is wrong.
Experts say recurring bad dreams or unusual dream patterns may sometimes appear before physical symptoms of illness become noticeable.
Dreams and health
Dreams have long puzzled scientists, with many theories about why they happen and what they mean.
Some people experience anxiety dreams, such as missing an important exam or being chased but unable to run. Others may have abstract dreams that are difficult to explain.
However, researchers say that changes in dream patterns could sometimes reflect changes happening inside the body.
Brain monitoring signals
Professor Patrick McNamara, a psychologist at Boston University School of Medicine who studies sleep, explained how the brain constantly tracks signals from the body.
“The brain is constantly monitoring signals from the body’s internal organs to keep our physiological systems in balance,” he told the Daily Mail.
Stress and anxiety can often affect sleep, which may lead to more frequent or intense nightmares.
But scientists believe certain dreams may also appear when the body is reacting to illness.
‘Prodromal dreams’
Researchers refer to these warning dreams as “prodromal dreams”.
During REM sleep, the brain processes signals from the body and may turn them into symbolic dream images.
“These signals are integrated in paralimbic regions such as the anterior insula, which track the body’s internal state,” McNamara said.
“During REM sleep the brain effectively compresses and synthesises this information, producing a kind of snapshot of what’s happening inside the body.”
Possible warning signs
According to McNamara, these dreams are not always linked to serious illness.
“When we are talking about prodromal dreams though, we are not just talking about serious life threatening illnesses, they could also come before a cold or the flu,” he said.
Certain themes may appear more often in these dreams.
“Dreams that are detecting threats are often presented in similar ways,” he explained.
“One of them is that there will be unwarranted aggression from somebody towards the dreamer… The other strong signal is the appearance of male strangers, who are mildly threatening.”
Sources: Daily Mail, Boston University School of Medicine
