Common to experience more vivid dreams during pandemic, experts say

“We see very often that individuals report vivid dreams, vivid nightmares, whenever they go through traumatic events," says Dr. Brittany LeMonda, a Neuropsychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital.

You’re not alone if your dreams during this stay-at-home period are more vivid than ever. Dr. LeMonda has personally seen this reported by her own patients lately.

One reason is not knowing how to digest the scary information we’re hearing. Another reason is that many of us are actually getting more sleep now that we’re home so much.

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“During REM cycles is when we dream, that’s when our brain is most active so if we are getting more Rem sleep then by definition we are going to be dreaming more," she added. 

Over in Bronxville, Westchester, publicist and ballet dancer Kimberly Giannelli is one of those dreamers. She tells us she’s too afraid to leave the house to get groceries, but at the same time her online grocery deliveries have been delayed. She shared her vivid dream with us.

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"All this messaging about don’t touch your face, wash your hands, don’t go out in public, cover your face, this, that, it’s like here I am in my new anxiety place, the supermarket, I can’t move fast enough and then I touched my eye," said Giannelli.

 “It’s not a bad thing if somebody is having more vivid dreams or more nightmares. I do think in some ways it’s healthy, it can sort of bring to the surface some underlying anxiety that we might have that we might not be able to deal with,” said Dr. LeMonda.

The doctor’s advice— try writing in a journal or discussing your dreams with a loved one. And remember, you’re not in this alone. 

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