First Published 30 June 2022

What Do You Dream About?

Do you remember your dreams when you wake up?  I know recently I had one where my company car (I’ve never had a company car!!) took on a life of it’s own and went around deliberately crashing in to things… no clue what that was about – and I am not sure I want to know 😳

Dreams sometimes make loads of sense and other times make absolutely none.  Whichever way it is for you, if you even remember them that is, dreams help us to process emotions, consolidate memories, ‘rehearse’ new things we have learned, and can even gradually reduce emotional responses to stressful situations that you have had or may have in the future.

So, dreaming has many benefits, and it takes sleep to make the most of these benefits.

I do spend a bit of time talking sleep with my clients and even have a section on it on my intake paperwork.

Sleep is an important to us as food and water, but most people just don’t get enough.  On average, adults require between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night – there are always exceptions to the rule though, so listen to your body and work towards your own optimal amount.

A lack of good quality sleep can lead to a lack of focus; eating more (and probably not good for you foods!); impaired memory; higher chance of catching a cold (or worse); likely to experience more intense emotions (hello stress and overwhelm); drinking caffeine (and then not being able to sleep due to too much caffeine in your system). 

And then there are the long-term effects if this goes on too long – like higher risk of type 2 diabetes; heart disease; impaired immune system or obesity.

Like with most things – the sooner you address a problem, the easier it is to solve it and reverse the damage.

So, embrace the dreams, make sure you are prioritising your sleep and do all that you can to ensure that you get a comfortable, decent night’s sleep.  And as always, if you need support or more targeted/bespoke tips, you know where I am (hint – the zoffee button below is a good one to press 😉).