The Surprising Reason You’re Dreaming More This Summer, According to Experts
With online searches for “dream meanings uk”, “dream interpretation” and “dream meanings teeth falling out” increasing by 5,000% in the past four weeks, luxury bed brand Comodo Living is delving into why our dreams become more vivid – and often more bizarre – during seasonal transitions, particularly as we head into summer.
To better understand this phenomenon, Comodo Living has teamed up with psychotherapist and author Eloise Skinner, who reveals how the change in environment and routine as summer arrives may be triggering more vivid dreams than usual.
“There could be some biological reasons,” explains Eloise. “During summer, we might be more likely to have disrupted sleep (due to the heat and / or extended periods of light), and hot temperatures can also increase brain activity during REM sleep (during which our dreams are most vivid). The body can also produce an anxiety-related response to raised temperatures, which can also impact the quality and depth of our sleep, and therefore our dreams.”
Do dreams change with the seasons?
According to Eloise, dream content can also shift in response to what’s happening around us.
“Our dreams often reflect themes that are current in our lives, or have been significant to us in some way (even if we didn’t appreciate the significance during our waking hours), so summer activities could certainly be a theme. Dreams are also thought to be a form of processing memories or information, so we might find ourselves making dream-related connections between current and past events, or reviewing scenarios that seem unresolved. It might also be possible that reviewing past events can help our brains to ‘rehearse’ or categorise memories in order to use them in future processing of experience.”
Can external factors like overheating, dehydration, or light exposure influence the tone or intensity of our dreams?
Eloise says, “Yes – overheating and light exposure can make our sleep more broken or disrupted, which can impact our time in REM sleep. Dehydration can have a similar impact, disrupting our sleep and having an impact on cognitive function, which could have a subsequent impact on sleep and dreams.”
As a brand dedicated to sleep innovation and comfort, Comodo Living believes this surge in dreaming is a timely reminder that our sleep environment, temperature, bedding, and routine, can significantly influence both the quality of our rest and the content of our dreams.
Top Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep This Summer
“Routine is key,” Eloise says. “Going to bed and waking up at a consistent time supports sleep regulation. A good sleeping environment is also important – good temperature regulation, a calm environment, comfortable bedding. A good bedtime routine can also be restorative and helpful for sleep regulation – winding down before bed (possibly without devices!) can help to ease us into a good night’s sleep.”
Alex Francis, interior design expert at Comodo Living, adds: “Sleep quality isn’t just about comfort, it’s about creating a space that adapts to your body’s seasonal needs. Investing in temperature-regulating bedding and blackout blinds can make a huge difference to how you sleep and, as we now know, how you dream.”
