Ahead of World Dream Day, we’ve researched Google search trends to identify the most common dreams and nightmares. We then spoke to dream experts to find out exactly what the meanings behind these dreams are.

From flying to being late; here are the most searched for dreams and what could be causing them.

Top 10 Searched for Dreams Revealed

1. Teeth falling out dream – 355 searches
2. Dying dream – 315 searches
3. Falling dream – 275 searches
4. Flying dream – 248 searches
5. Cheating dream – 212 searches
6. Being pregnant dream – 195 searches
7. Being chased dream – 188 searches
8. Test dream – 185 searches
9. Being late dream – 100 searches
10. Naked in public dream – 100 searches

Expert Shares Meaning Behind Common Dreams 

Based on these commonly searched-for dreams, we spoke with award-winning energy healer Antonia Harman from Divine Empowerment to find out the truth behind our thoughts during sleep. She shares her insight below: 

1. Teeth falling out dream 

Dreaming of teeth falling out often relates to personal loss, whether it is a marriage, a job, a loved one passing, or losing a home. You could be worried about what will happen in the future; significant changes are coming. Are you stressed or anxious? It could also relate to jealousy around a partner or co-worker. 

2. Dying dream 

Dying in a dream often relates to significant changes. It is similar to the death card in tarot; they both mean the end of an era, change. They are not necessarily negative nor do they predict your physical death. 

3. Falling dream 

Falling in a dream points to you feeling out of control, that your life is not your own and you are ‘spinning out’. If this is the case, taking steps towards feeling less overwhelmed will help to stop the dreams. 

4. Flying dream 

Flying in a dream is wonderfully exhilarating if you are ‘lucid’ in the dream, which means you are both actor and director you may be able to choose where you go and what you see. However, if you have a fear of flying, that could mean you are afraid of new challenges and success. 

5. Cheating dream 

Dreaming about a partner cheating points towards your insecurities in a relationship. You may feel unworthy or that they will find someone better. However, it could be a sixth sense that you feel things are off and they are cheating. Please tread lightly with this and try to notice your own insecurities before confronting them. 

6. Being pregnant dream 

Being pregnant in a dream relates to birthing; this could be a baby, a concept, an invention, a new business opportunity etc. If you are physically pregnant, it could be due to anxiety and uncertainty around the pregnancy. 

7. Being chased dream 

If you are being chased in a dream, you need to look at what you are running from in your own life. Is there a person or situation you feel uncomfortable with and want to flee from? Changing what you want to get away from in the physical may stop this dream from recurring? 

8. Test dream 

If you are taking a test or being tested in a dream, this could relate to a trial in the physical world. Are you currently being challenged? Is there a competition or a new obstacle? Is there uncertainty where you need to use skill to triumph? 

9. Being late dream 

Being late for a dream relates to the need for change or hope for change. It could also point to a fear of missing opportunities in your work or personal life. 

10. Naked in public dream 

Being naked in a dream relates to fear of being exposed. Is there something you are hiding you don’t want to come out? Are there vulnerabilities, weaknesses or insecurities you are trying to hide? 

Want to know more about what your dreams mean?

We’ve got you covered, we spoke with GP Giuseppe Aragona from Prescription Doctor and dream expert Martin Rothery from Sanomentology about exactly what shapes our dreams. 

Do significant life events have an impact on our dreams? 

Martin: Yes, absolutely. The amygdala in the brain takes input from all of the body’s senses, if a significant life event happens there will be a lot of stored information in this part of the brain waiting to be sorted, dealt with and resolved. Part of the purpose of our dreams is to deal with whatever the amygdala has stored during the day (and life).

Do you feel people’s dreams will have been impacted by the pandemic? 

Giuseppe: Yes, there has definitely been evidence of people’s sleeping patterns changing due to the pandemic, this is down to a number of things such as pandemic anxiety, uncertainty and change in people’s lifestyles. When something as huge as a pandemic affects our daily lives and changes the way we live our life this is going to have a huge impact on our sleep and may mean that we are having more dreams and restless nights. 

Many people will suffer with increased stress and anxiety from the pandemic and shift in our daily lives and routines and this will definitely be evident in our sleep and dream patterns. Some people may experience different types of dreams every night or may have recurring dreams.

What would you say one of the most common dreams is?

Giuseppe: One of the most common dreams that many people experience is the feeling of falling. When we have falling dreams our body usually jolts awake when in the dream we are about to hit the ground, this can cause many people to actually wake up from the dream and it could disrupt your sleep for that night.

A falling dream usually means that in your life you’re holding on to a situation that is not serving your best interests and is having an adverse effect on your life. Falling dreams are usually associated with our insecurities, anxieties and situations in our lives that make us feel unstable and not in control. 

Do you believe that we can be sent messages through our dreams? 

Martin: Yes, definitely. The messages may not be from external sources, but the dreamers’ own deeper unconscious mind will often send messages in the form of dreams. This is apparent with the invention of the sewing machine, DNA, and Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.

Can you control dreams?

Giuseppe: Often it’s quite hard to control dreams, for example many times a person will wake up from a really good dream and struggle to get back to it. However, there is lucid dreaming which happens when you’re aware that you are dreaming, and, in some cases, you can control the dreams storyline and environment. This happens during REM sleep.

What do recurring dreams or nightmares often indicate? 

Martin: A reoccurring dream will happen when an issue remains unresolved, a message not received, or an ongoing event continues. Taking control of the dream will allow it to be dealt with once and for all. 

At what age do we begin to dream? 

Martin: I personally believe that we dream even within the womb, the question is more relevant as to when we remember that we dream. This can be any time from two – four years old.

Is it true that you can’t dream about a person unless you’ve seen their face before? 

Martin: This is a theory that from my own research has no substance behind it. The theory stands that the unconscious mind cannot create from nothing, but then I would argue that it couldn’t give answers to problems or provide solutions if this was fact. I believe we can dream anyone we can imagine, regardless of whether we have seen them, or if they even exist. 

Get a Great Night’s Sleep 

Whether you regularly suffer from nightmares or struggle with insomnia, read our expert guide to sleeping well here.