Yoh guys, are we okay as a nation? Then why are we dreaming about snakes? Research revealed what people worldwide are dreaming about when we go to sleep at night.
Whether you are dreaming of plummeting to your death or cuddling your furry friend or even bumping into an ex-lover, dreams are something we all have in common. Sometimes dreams are good, and sometimes it can leave you terrified, but they are part of life.
According to new research by the Secret Linen Store, Mzansi sees snakes when citizens heads hit their pillows at night.
“Dreams themselves can be weird, wonderful and often perplexing, causing us to turn to the likes of Google for answers on the meaning behind these dreams,” explain sisters and owners of Secret Linen Store, Molly Freshwater and Harriet Mears.
Secret Linen Store is an England-based bedroom linen and accessory store and conducted its research using Google search data.
Dream a little dream
Recent studies have shown that the average person has four to six dreams per night, and scientists have long debated whether dreams have significant meaning or not. “Freud believed that our dreams uncovered revealing parts of our psyche, whereas other psychologists have suggested dreams are entirely random,” says the Secret Linen Store.
According to the Sleep Foundation, “dreams are images, thoughts, or feelings that occur during sleep” and we dream for different reasons. It could be for building memory, dealing with emotion or incidental brain activity, amongst others.
Dreams are part of healthy sleep, but it can have a negative affect on your health if it deprives you of normal sleep.
“Distressing dreams may cause a person to avoid sleep, leading to insufficient sleep. When they do sleep, the prior sleep deprivation can induce a REM sleep rebound that actually worsens nightmares. This negative cycle can cause some people with frequent nightmares to experience insomnia as a chronic sleep problem,” the article on the website further states.
If you dreams deprive you from sleeping, you should see a doctor.
This is what Africa dreams about
But do dreams vary depending on the country you live in? We were curious to find out whether surroundings affect the type of dreams you’ll have when you snuggle up at night.
According to research, Google search data revealed the dreams we collectively experienced the most and how it differed from around the world.
In Mzansi and Rwanda snakes topped the list. “While dreams about snakes are considered to have negative connotations, dreams about money are thought to be symbolic of a richness in life, whether that is confidence, love or self-belief.”
Africa also stands with the global rankings with its top dream amongst residents featuring dogs, being the most common dream for Algerian, Nigerien and Egyptian residents. And money was on the minds of Ugandan and Nigerian dreamers.
What are the most common dreams worldwide?
Out of 185 countries analysed, 19 seemed to experience what researchers have dubbed a “woof night’s sleep”, dreaming of furry companions.
“In fact, dreaming of our pets in general was a common theme, with the United Arab Emirates and various other Asian countries yearning for dogs most during their sleep, whilst five countries, including Poland and Bulgaria dream more about their feline family members. Interestingly, fish also feature when Hungarian and Jamaican dreamers lay their heads to rest at night,” the research revealed.
In the United Kingdom, France and Switzerland pregnancy took the reigns.
“Whilst many of us see our pets as part of the family, the UK, France and Switzerland are bringing things even closer to home, as they’re among the 18 countries that dream most frequently about being pregnant.”
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