7 Most Common Dreams And What They Mean

Whether you remember them or not, it’s believed that every night during sleep, we will have around five dream episodes. Do you remember them all? And, what do they mean?

According to a number of dream experts, our dreams are a mirror of fundamental patterns of human behaviour, reflecting who we are, what we need, and what we believe in. As the founder of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud believed, dreams are 'the window into our subconscious'.

While dreams are believed to be individualistic, it’s not unusual to have 'common dreams' which can be more metaphorical, such as losing all of your teeth or being chased. Below are some of the most common dreams that you may experience throughout your hours of slumber and the messages they are trying to tell you.

• Teeth falling out 

Have you ever had a dream about your teeth falling out or crumbling in your hands? The common meaning for this type of dream comes from feelings of anxiety, grief, loss of control, or fear of failure and abandonment. It can represent your inability to communicate something important, which in turn, leaves you feeling powerless. You may be lacking confidence or need more privacy in some situation.

• Being chased

Running away from something, or being chased by someone, suggests that you are running away from something that is causing you fear or anxiety in your waking life. It  suggests that you have a tendency to run away from issues rather than tackle them. This can be a recurring dream until you find the issue and resolve it in your waking life. If you're the one doing the chasing, well, you're in luck – it conveys that you are ambitious enough to achieve all that you want in life.

• Falling

If you find yourself falling in your dreams, it may signify insecurity and anxiety about a situation. You may have failed at doing something in your waking life and the dream is letting out your feelings about not doing as well as you’d hoped. If you lose balance and fall in the dream, it could mean the problem is within you. Alternatively, if you've been pushed, you could be overworking or stretching yourself too thin.

• Being late

Dreams about being late can serve as a major wake up call. They can reflect the feeling that you are running out of time to get something done, or that you are not 100% confident about making a change in your life. Having these dreams can convey that you need to make a change so that you don't miss out on what you really want.

• Flying

Dreaming of being able to fly in your dream can be interpreted in many ways. On one hand, it can represent the freedom, excitement and independence, whilst on the other, it could illustrate your desire to escape from a role or responsibility. If you are unable to fly it suggests that you might be struggling to meet the high goals you set for yourself.

• Cheating in a relationship

Cheating dreams can vary wildly - you may be the one doing the cheating, or being the one cheated on. For dreams where you are the one cheating on your partner, consider who you are cheating with and what values they represent. Typically, these dreams don’t indicate a sexual attraction but that they may have certain qualities that you wish your partner could emulate.

• Being naked

That dream about being naked in public could suggest that you are struggling to find yourself or that you feel wrongly accused or exposed. Other research also suggests that public nudity dreams can be put down to a new job, promotion or any situation where you'll be coming into public view.

Do you ever experience any of these most common dreams?

If you're ready to capture your dreams and understand more about the meaning behind them, try our brand new Dare To Dream Notepad. Here, you can record, reflect and track all of your dreams and determine their meanings and how they affect your waking life.