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What are sleeping dreams about?

This symbol is identified by words like sleep.

Sleeping in dreams is a very common dream symbol, occuring in about 12% of dreams. That's about 1 out of every 8 dreams.

What are the major highlights of sleeping dreams?

Sleeping is a very interconnected dream symbol. Having sleeping in a dream substantially changes the nature of the dream.

Dreams with sleeping might be a nightmare

Dreams of sleeping are frequently associated with nightmares. Of course dreams that contain sleeping might not be a nightmare. Plenty of dreams with sleeping are not nightmares. But, dreams of sleeping are more related to nightmares than 80% of all other dream symbols. Other symbols that are like this include Philippines, unique themes, exhaustion, tunnels, mazes, possessing, noises, cannibals, guest rooms, and hunger.

Sleeping dreams have a surprising lack of characters

Dreams of sleeping usually contain less characters than 90% of all other dream symbols. This does not mean they do not contain characters at all. Rather, they simply contain less characters than most other dream symbols. Other symbols that are like this include collective unconscious, youtube, recurring dreams, earthquakes, peeing, three eyes, numb, teeth falling out, burglary, and hit the ground.

Sleeping dreams are associated with lucid dreaming

Dreams of sleeping are much more related to lucid dreaming than all other dream symbols. Lucid dreams are dreams in which you are aware that you are dreaming. Of course, not all dreams of sleeping are lucid dreams. But dreams of sleeping are more related to lucid dreams than 90% of all other dream symbols. Other symbols that are like this include couldn't open eyes, general body parts, general thinking, opened my eyes, Argentina, authors, medicine, time travel, sleeping, and fingers.

How does the dream symbol of sleeping affect the different aspects of a dream?

Explore different elements related to dreams of sleeping

Who is in sleeping dreams?

Overall, dreams with sleeping are much less related to characters in dreams. Specifically, dreams of sleeping are less related to animals, much less related to different roles, and less related to distant people.

Animals

less than usual

Insects

the same as usual

Different roles

much less than usual

Fantastic beings

the same as usual

Distant people

less than usual

Close people

less than usual

Family

the same as usual

Romantic partners

the same as usual
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What are the emotions in sleeping dreams?

Overall, dreams with sleeping are more related to emotions in dreams. Specifically, dreams of sleeping are more related to fear than dreams in general. They are less related to happiness, less related to sadness, and less related to embarrassment.

Happiness

less than usual

Sadness

less than usual

Grief and sorrow

the same as usual

Embarrassment

less than usual

Confusion

the same as usual

Fear

more than usual

Pain

the same as usual

Hatred

less than usual

Fun

less than usual

Love

less than usual
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Who is in sleeping dreams?

Overall, dreams with sleeping are less related to places in dreams. Specifically, dreams of sleeping are much less related to human places, less related to transportation, and less related to natural places.

Home

the same as usual

Work

the same as usual

Human places

much less than usual

Transportation

less than usual

Natural places

less than usual

Magical places

less than usual
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What happens in sleeping dreams?

Overall, dreams with sleeping are much more related to events in dreams. Specifically, dreams of sleeping are less related to aggressive interactions, less related to friendly interactions, and less related to disasters.

Aggressive interactions

less than usual

Friendly interactions

less than usual

Sex

the same as usual

Disasters

less than usual
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How do sleeping in dreams related to other dream phenomenon?

Overall, dreams with sleeping are much more related to dream events in dreams. Specifically, dreams of sleeping are much more related to lucid dreams, much more related to nightmares, and more related to recurring nightmares than dreams in general. They are less related to sleeping.

Lucid dreams

much more than usual

Nightmares

much more than usual

Recurring dreams

the same as usual

Recurring nightmares

more than usual

Sleep paralysis

much more than usual

Sleeping

much more than usual

Waking life

the same as usual
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How do sleeping in dreams related the senses?

Overall, dreams with sleeping are aren't really related to senses in dreams. Specifically, dreams of sleeping are more related to hearing than dreams in general. They are less related to smelling, less related to taste, and less related to vision.

Hearing

more than usual

Smelling

less than usual

Taste

less than usual

Vision

less than usual

Touch

the same as usual
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How can you make sense of sleeping in dreams?

Sleeping dreams are very common. Among other things sleeping dreams are very postively interconnected, nightmare, lack characters, and are associated with lucid dreaming.

Do you think this is true for your dream of sleeping? How might your dream of sleeping be different?

All dreams have meaning

You can gain insight from thinking about any dream, no matter how strange. Only you, as the dreamer, have final say on what your dream may or may not mean. Each dream is unique.

Look for the differences

The DreamWell dictionary provides information on how each dream symbol appears in dreams in general. Finding how experience sleeping in dreams can be a key to understanding its meaning.

Return to the feelings

Our emotions in dreams can help us understand its meaning. Pay attention to how you felt in the dream. Pay attention to how you feel about sleeping in dreams. See how you feel about sleeping now, in your waking life.

What are possible meanings for dreams of sleeping?

Falling asleep in a dream can reflect thoughts about being able to go to and stay asleep, especially if you have concerns about getting to sleep or getting enough of it. People who toss and turn while trying to go to sleep are known to dream about frustration related to sleep.

Sleep can be used in the sense of being unaware. The symbolism is the same as coma. If a person is described as asleep it means he or she is blissfully ignorant. Falling asleep in a dream can symbolize a period of time when you drifted away from reality. It means “zoned out” or “asleep on your feet.” Reflect on the day before the dream and remember whether that happened. See: Comas

Falling asleep in a dream can indicate a need for rest and recuperation. It can mean it’s better presently just to get deep sleep rather than dream intensely. And it simply reflect the sleeping state of your body while dreaming.

See also: Body parts, Comas, Dream within a dream, Nightmares, Sleep paralysis, Waking, Zombies

This interpretation is from ""The Dream Interpretation Dictionary: Symbols, Signs, and Meanings" and is provided by J.M. DeBord aka "RadOwl". He is the author of several acclaimed books about dreaming, the host of The Dreams That Shape Us podcast, and is a moderator of r/Dreams, one of the largest dream sharing communities on the internet.

Examples of dreams of sleeping

Read some real dream reports of sleeping dreams.. These real life dream reports come from the moderated dream sharing communities of Reddit including r/Dreams, r/Nightmares, r/DreamInterpretation, or r/thisdreamihad. Please note that some of these may contain graphic, sexual, or violent images and text. Use the source link for each dream to view and join the discussion of each one.

What if your dream is an actual alternate reality of your life?

Science has hypothesized the existence of parallel universes. What if sleeping makes us able to....I dunno....ride some wavelength of space / time / etc. into the first person of an alternate universe of ourselves? And what if, when we day dream, an alternate universe version of ourselves is doing the same thing to us?

Science has hypothesized the existence of parallel universes. What if sleeping makes us able to....I dunno....ride some wavelength of space / time / etc. into...

Source | Show dream

I prefer sleeping over real life

Is it just me who prefers dreaming to real life? I have chronic migraines and chronic fatigue syndrome so maybe that's why. Sleep is my happy place where I can have whatever I want and do what I like, then I wake up and realise real life can never match the feeling I get in my sleep. If there was a pill that put me in a coma and let me dream until the day I die I would take it.

Is it just me who prefers dreaming to real life? I have chronic migraines and chronic fatigue syndrome so maybe that's why. Sleep is my happy place where I can...

Source | Show dream

dreamt of Lucifer being a god & God being the devil

i had a dream where i was driving to my grandmother’s house & looked up at the sky to see Lucifer was in the sky and God was basically in hell. Lucifer’s horns were the shape of clouds but he was still in heaven and then God was on fire, so he was in hell (in my dream— i’m trying to be more specific about how it was). we all know it’s the other way around in real life and yet in my dream it was the opposite. and then as i was driving, God begins to chase our car and then he turns back around— he “turns his back on me” as i thought in the dream. i woke up from this dream at exactly 4:44AM. what could this possibly mean? i do believe in God. i pray to him all the time and he blesses me so i am quite confused, although as of lately i have been questioning Him but who doesn’t ??? but i also believe in the Universe— i practice spirituality, all the while believing in the Christian God because that is how things work for me. i have never had a dream of such entities until tonight and i am a bit afraid to go back to sleep because i don’t want to dream it again... if anyone could maybe give me insight on what this could POSSIBLY mean, please please let me know.

i had a dream where i was driving to my grandmother’s house & looked up at the sky to see Lucifer was in the sky and God was basically in hell. Lucifer’s...

Source | Show dream

Real weird dream a couple nights ago.

So, it was Christmas night and all through the house, I was sleeping and that’s all I care about. Anyway, I had three dream cycles that nights involving me waking up several times, but right before my second cycle ended the weird ass part of my mind cranked its motor.

It starts out with me walking out to some random patio, an open garden with a frame around it is in the center. While I’m walking down a few steps I start to hear a narration. “Mathematicians have this weird thing, where we scream at each other and then start kissing,” I keep walking and I see iguana size geckos coming out of the garden, and IRL I’m terrified of reptiles, so I try to avoid them. But they all start screaming like people, and the narration continues. “We keep screaming at each other and keep getting louder until one of us is the loudest. We call them the *forgot*,” then when I turn around something behind me licks my ear, makes a smooch noise, and screams like a “REEEEEEEEEEEEE” without the R.

So, it was Christmas night and all through the house, I was sleeping and that’s all I care about. Anyway, I had three dream cycles that nights involving me...

Source | Show dream

I had sex with a sleep paralysis demon.

I had a dream that I was visiting someone's house and was living there for a few days. Don't know whose house it was.
This middle aged woman, started showing interest in me.
We made friends quickly and were watching some TikToks with another friend. It was night, that friend fell asleep. Shortly after I fell asleep too. I woke up to the middle aged woman having sex with me.
I didn't know what the **** was going on so I went back to sleep.
Next day, we were doing the same, but this time, the woman sat on top of me like a sleep paralysis demon. And shortly after we started having sex again.
And... We got caught. Lead to a lot of controversy. That's when I started realising it was a dream and it became lucid.
Weird facts about the lady:
She was kinda ugly, and had 2 pairs of breasts.
Did I just have sex with a sleep paralysis demon?

I had a dream that I was visiting someone's house and was living there for a few days. Don't know whose house it was.
This middle aged woman, started showing...

Source | Show dream
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