The Nice Advice, By Leah Albert

Dear Leah,

Lately I have been experiencing very strange dreams. Some are very vivid. The colors and emotions I feel while dreaming are very powerful. Some are scary — you know, the kind that wake you up with terror, and you need to turn on every light in the house.

Some are totally confusing! I dreamt recently that I moved into a new apartment, and as I walked down the hall, I noticed giant black beetles crawling on the floor, and all over my stuff! In my dream I ran right out the door, screaming for maintenance.

I haven’t always dreamed like this. Heck, most mornings I wake up with no memory of a dream. What do you think it means?

Signed, Sleepless in Southern Minnesota

 

Dear Sleepless,

Our brains never stop thinking or processing what’s going on in our lives. Our sleeping brain is actually a more productive problem solver because it doesn’t have all of the sensory distractions we encounter while we’re awake.

Sometimes dreams can be very literal. If you’ve lost your keys and dream you find them behind the couch, there’s a good chance that’s where your keys are.

Dreams are also notoriously metaphorical. If you dream you are flying over a rainbow on a unicorn — well, you may need a dream dictionary to figure that one out.

Take a moment to consider what’s going on in your life. Have there been any recent life changes? A career change? Have you or someone you love been sick or struggling? Taking stock of your feelings and situation will go a long way in helping you sort through different aspects of your dreams and help you identify the correct meaning as you look them up in a dream dictionary.

Another thing you might find helpful is keeping a dream journal. A dream journal is a notepad you keep next to your bed. When you wake from a dream, write it down! It’s important to do it right away, because as our brains go into wake mode, we lose more and more of what was just happening while we were asleep.

One thing I’ve learned is that our brains will keep communicating the same message to us while we dream, in many different ways, until the issue is resolved. Something that we dream is terrifying, like losing teeth or being chased by a monster, may not be something scary in our lives at all. It’s our minds way of trying to get our attention. Hope this helps! Take care.

Leah

 

Leah Albert is a fictitious character. She likes wine and writing. Don’t ask her to be a matchmaker. Do send your questions to Leah at theniceadviceleahalbert@gmail.com.