describe how coronaviruse is affecting your dreams and what to do about it
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Answer:
If you feel you’ve been dreaming a lot more recently, the coronavirus crisis and lockdown measures could be to blame. Changes in sleep patterns may mean that many of us are dreaming more or remembering more of the dreams that we have, while the looming threat of the virus may have affected the nature of the dreams themselves.
According to a survey conducted by King’s College London, 62 per cent of people in the UK are getting just as much sleep, if not more, than before stricter social distancing measures began on 23 March. Similar patterns are likely in other countries, and it is reasonable to assume that for some of those staying at home, the time saved from getting ready for work and commuting is being used to get more sleep.
This means dream time and dream recall is probably increasing during the crisis, says Mark Blagrove, a psychologist at Swansea University, UK.
When you sleep for longer, you have more rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. This is the sleep stage from which most dreams are recalled. Modern life, however, typically involves shortened sleep and may be leading to an “epidemic” of dream loss.
That may now be changing for some. “Lack of work schedules may be allowing individuals to wake up without an alarm clock,” says Blagrove. “Natural wake-ups are known to result in longer dreams.”
At the same time, anxiety can disrupt our sleep, leading to more awakenings. When you awaken out of REM sleep, you’re much more likely to remember the dream you were having.