Sleep Disorders Living With What Do Dreams and Nightmares Mean in Pregnancy? Sleep Fragmentation May Contribute to Dream Recall By Brandon Peters, MD Brandon Peters, MD Facebook Twitter Brandon Peters, MD, is a board-certified neurologist and sleep medicine specialist. Learn about our editorial process Updated on June 10, 2022 Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Smita Patel, MD Medically reviewed by Smita Patel, MD LinkedIn Twitter Smita Patel, MD is triple board-certified in neurology, sleep medicine, and integrative medicine. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Fact checked Verywell Health content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by Angela Underwood Fact checked by Angela Underwood LinkedIn Angela Underwood's extensive local, state, and federal healthcare and environmental news coverage includes 911 first-responder compensation policy to the Ciba-Geigy water contamination case in Toms River, NJ. Her additional health-related coverage includes death and dying, skin care, and autism spectrum disorder. Learn about our editorial process Print Dreams are often interpreted to be a window to the subconscious mind. In the dynamic state of pregnancy, the dreams and nightmares that occur may be thought to be particularly meaningful, especially when they relate to the unborn baby. Do dreams and nightmares occur more while a woman is pregnant? Why might they be more common? Are dreams or nightmares with pregnancy a sign of any particular outcomes? Learn the answers. Andrea Gomez / Getty Images How Frequently Do Pregnant Women Dream? Dreams are common, and they're just as common among pregnant women as among those who aren't pregnant. Even more, dreams do increase in frequency as gestation progresses, such that more dreams occur later in pregnancy; why might this be? Dream recall may increase in the setting of sleep fragmentation. Late in pregnancy, especially in the third trimester, physical discomfort may lead to more frequent awakenings; in addition, increased emotional stress in anticipation and preparation for labor and birth may disrupt sleep. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep may also become restricted, and its interruption may lead to vivid dream recall. There is also evidence that hormonal changes in pregnancy have significant effects on sleep in pregnancy. The Content of Dreams and Nightmares in Pregnancy The content of dreams in pregnancy may reflect a different collection of daytime experiences and concerns. Pregnant women frequently dream about their unborn child, for example, and the anxiety associated with possible birth complications may provoke nightmares. Dreams may indeed reflect the underlying psychological state of pregnant women: they may have labile emotions, experiencing mood swings throughout the day. This distress may manifest in nightmares. There may be behaviors associated with these frightful experiences, including confusional arousals. Fortunately, most women don't experience these other conditions. There is little evidence to suggest a correlation between upsetting dreams and the ultimate physical outcomes of the pregnancy, involving either the mother or the child. Women should be aware of their emotional states, and if depression or anxiety becomes a concern, help should be sought from support systems, including family, friends or doctors. Fortunately, just like in other times of life, dreams and nightmares may not mean anything in particular. There is no reason to be overly concerned about the content of bizarre or distressing dreams. These dreams in pregnancy will pass and likely have little bearing on the health of the baby to come. 5 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Schredl M, Gilles M, Wolf I, et al. Nightmare frequency in last trimester of pregnancy. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2016;16(1):346. doi: 10.1186/s12884-016-1147-x Scarpelli S, D’Atri A, Bartolacci C, et al. Dream recall upon awakening from non-rapid eye movement sleep in older adults: electrophysiological pattern and qualitative features. Brain Sciences. 2020;10(6):343. doi: 10.3390/brainsci10060343 Won Christine H.J. Sleeping for two: the great paradox of sleep in pregnancy. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 11(06):593-594. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.4760 Lara-Carrasco J, Simard V, Saint-Onge K, Lamoureux-Tremblay V, Nielsen T. Disturbed dreaming during the third trimester of pregnancy. Sleep Medicine. 2014;15(6):694-700. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2014.01.026 Priya A, Chaturvedi S, Bhasin S, Bhatia M, Radhakrishnan G. Depression, anxiety and stress among pregnant women: A community-based study. Indian J Psychiatry. 2018;60(1):151. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.4103%2Fpsychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_230_17 Additional Reading Kryger, MH et al. "Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine." ExpertConsult, 5th edition, 2011, pp. 1582. Editorial Process Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? 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