How to Know That You Had a Vivid Dream

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesHarmful Side EffectsHow to Avoid Vivid Dreams

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Table of Contents

Causes

Harmful Side Effects

How to Avoid Vivid Dreams

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Have you ever woken up from a dream that felt so real, it’s hard to shake it off? A vivid dream is one that feels so real that you can recall it very clearly when you wake up. They can be happy or sad, based on your real life, or completely fabricated. Vivid dreams are ones that stick to your memory.

Press Play for Advice On Dream Interpretation

Scientists aren’t exactly clear on what causes vivid dreams; however, there are a few things that have been shown to increase their likelihood.

9 Common Dream Interpretations to Help You Make Sense of It All

Harmful Side Effects of Vivid Dreams

Generally, having a vivid dream once in a while isn’t a cause for concern. However, if you are having vivid dreams frequently and it is interfering with your day-to-day life, it can cause harmful effects on your overall health and well-being.

Some of these include:

Nightmare Disorder: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

How to Avoid Vivid Dreams

Identifying and treating the underlying cause of your vivid dream can help reduce them. Contact your doctor and/or mental health professional and they can provide appropriate advice, treatment options, and effective lifestyle changes.

However, sometimes, it can be difficult to determine a specific cause of your vivid dreams.

Here are some tips to help you reduce the frequency of them:

Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to feeling productive and well-rested for the following day. Certain medications, sleep disorders, mental health, and medical conditions can cause vivid dreams.

Vivid dreams can affect your quality of life if they are persistent and distressing. Changing your lifestyle and following the advice and guidance of your healthcare provider can help reduce these dreams and allow you to get a better night’s rest.

How to Lucid Dream, According to a Psychologist and a Dream Analyst

10 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tribl GG, Wetter TC, Schredl M.Dreaming under antidepressants: A systematic review on evidence in depressive patients and healthy volunteers.Sleep Med Rev.2013;17(2):133–42. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2012.05.001Riemer TG, Villagomez Fuentes LE, Algharably EAE, et al.Do β-blockers cause depression? : systematic review and meta-analysis of psychiatric adverse events during β-blocker therapy.Hypertension. 2021;77(5):1539–1548. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.16590Medic G, Wille M, Hemels ME.Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption.Nat Sci Sleep. 2017;9(1):151–161. doi:10.2147/NSS.S134864Johnson B.Drug abuse, dreams, and nightmares.APA. 2012;1(1):385–392. doi:10.1007/978–1–4614–3375–0_31Drinking and drug-use dreams in recovery tied to more severe addiction history: Frequency of these relapse dreams decreases as the body and brain adapt to abstinence.ScienceDaily.Sleep Foundation.Nightmares.Admin APA.Pregnancy dreams.American Pregnancy Association.Sleep Foundation.Healthy sleep tips.How sleep works — why is sleep important?| National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH.Six relaxation techniques to reduce stress.Harvard Health.

10 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tribl GG, Wetter TC, Schredl M.Dreaming under antidepressants: A systematic review on evidence in depressive patients and healthy volunteers.Sleep Med Rev.2013;17(2):133–42. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2012.05.001Riemer TG, Villagomez Fuentes LE, Algharably EAE, et al.Do β-blockers cause depression? : systematic review and meta-analysis of psychiatric adverse events during β-blocker therapy.Hypertension. 2021;77(5):1539–1548. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.16590Medic G, Wille M, Hemels ME.Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption.Nat Sci Sleep. 2017;9(1):151–161. doi:10.2147/NSS.S134864Johnson B.Drug abuse, dreams, and nightmares.APA. 2012;1(1):385–392. doi:10.1007/978–1–4614–3375–0_31Drinking and drug-use dreams in recovery tied to more severe addiction history: Frequency of these relapse dreams decreases as the body and brain adapt to abstinence.ScienceDaily.Sleep Foundation.Nightmares.Admin APA.Pregnancy dreams.American Pregnancy Association.Sleep Foundation.Healthy sleep tips.How sleep works — why is sleep important?| National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH.Six relaxation techniques to reduce stress.Harvard Health.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Tribl GG, Wetter TC, Schredl M.Dreaming under antidepressants: A systematic review on evidence in depressive patients and healthy volunteers.Sleep Med Rev.2013;17(2):133–42. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2012.05.001Riemer TG, Villagomez Fuentes LE, Algharably EAE, et al.Do β-blockers cause depression? : systematic review and meta-analysis of psychiatric adverse events during β-blocker therapy.Hypertension. 2021;77(5):1539–1548. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.16590Medic G, Wille M, Hemels ME.Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption.Nat Sci Sleep. 2017;9(1):151–161. doi:10.2147/NSS.S134864Johnson B.Drug abuse, dreams, and nightmares.APA. 2012;1(1):385–392. doi:10.1007/978–1–4614–3375–0_31Drinking and drug-use dreams in recovery tied to more severe addiction history: Frequency of these relapse dreams decreases as the body and brain adapt to abstinence.ScienceDaily.Sleep Foundation.Nightmares.Admin APA.Pregnancy dreams.American Pregnancy Association.Sleep Foundation.Healthy sleep tips.How sleep works — why is sleep important?| National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH.Six relaxation techniques to reduce stress.Harvard Health.

Tribl GG, Wetter TC, Schredl M.Dreaming under antidepressants: A systematic review on evidence in depressive patients and healthy volunteers.Sleep Med Rev.2013;17(2):133–42. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2012.05.001

Riemer TG, Villagomez Fuentes LE, Algharably EAE, et al.Do β-blockers cause depression? : systematic review and meta-analysis of psychiatric adverse events during β-blocker therapy.Hypertension. 2021;77(5):1539–1548. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.16590

Medic G, Wille M, Hemels ME.Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption.Nat Sci Sleep. 2017;9(1):151–161. doi:10.2147/NSS.S134864

Johnson B.Drug abuse, dreams, and nightmares.APA. 2012;1(1):385–392. doi:10.1007/978–1–4614–3375–0_31

Drinking and drug-use dreams in recovery tied to more severe addiction history: Frequency of these relapse dreams decreases as the body and brain adapt to abstinence.ScienceDaily.

Sleep Foundation.Nightmares.

Admin APA.Pregnancy dreams.American Pregnancy Association.

Sleep Foundation.Healthy sleep tips.

How sleep works — why is sleep important?| National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH.

Six relaxation techniques to reduce stress.Harvard Health.

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