dream facts, part 2

" Rein in Nightmares - 3 ways to keep Freddy Kruger out of your bed:

1. DON'T DRINK: booze blocks REM sleep, which can up your odds of having night terrors - a sudden awakening, usually accompanied by screaming or sweating. "Dreams outside of REM can be full of anxiety," says Veronica Tonay, Ph.D., author of The Creative Dreamer. Re-cork the cabernet at least 4 hours before bed.

2. REWRITE HISTORY: happy endings aren't just in Disney flicks. At the moment a nightmare jolts you awake, you can easily alter its effects on you. "Writing down or just reimagining a new, positive ending may dispel some of the anxiety associated with the dream," says Alan Siegel, Ph.D. author of Dream Wisdom.

3. ANALYZE THIS: end a recurring bad dream by interpreting it. "When a client dreamed she was hurting babies, she was terrified it meant she didn't want kids. But a baby can symbolize a new direction in life, so it could mean she was nervous about a new project," says Michael Lennox, Psy.D., author of DreamSight (May 2008). "

This information is from the November 2007 issue of Women's Health, one of my favorite magazines. The very last page of each issue is called "The Average Woman" and each month it's all about women and one specific topic. This month it's "The Average Woman... and her dreams." Remember, part 1 of the dream facts (the rest of the information) can be found here.

dream facts, part 1

Some of you know that Women's Health is one of my favorite magazines. Well last night I opened up the November 2007 issue and flipped to the very last page like I always do. The very last page is called "The Average Woman" and each month it's all about women and one specific topic.

This month it's "The Average Woman... and her dreams" which has some really appropriate information for our dream blog. I've decided to be oh-so-kind and type it all up for your reading pleasure. ;) Hopefully it helps you interpret or understand some of your dreams! (This is Part 1. Part 2 - which is much shorter - will follow in the days to come!)

-When the Average Woman (AW) had her first dream: in the womb
-Age at which the AW begins starring regularly in her own dreams: 7
-Main characters until then: animals
-Animal most likely to appear in the AW's dreams: snake
-What it symbolizes: healing, transformation, and fear

-Number of dreams the AW has per night: 4 to 6
-In a year: 1,825
-In her life: 147,825

-Number of adults who occasionally have nightmares: more than half
-Most common nightmare: being chased by a wild animal, monster, or evildoer
-Person who wrote a book based on a real nightmare: Mary Shelley (Frankenstein)
-What else haunts the AW in her sleep:
1. falling
2. getting lost
3. a surprise exam
4. losing teeth

-Percentage of women who have kept a dream diary: 15
-Percentage of women who say a dream has come true: 48
-Of those dreams, percentage that were good: 31
-Percentage that were bad: 7

-How long it usually takes the AW to forget a dream: a few minutes
-Percentage of women who daydream: 95
-Percentage of the day the AW spends zoning out: 30
-What the AW daydreams about:
1. sex
2. vacation
3. the past

-Age at which the AW had her first sex dream: 15 or older
-Number of women who say they remember it: fewer than 1 in 4
-Percentage of the AW's dreams that remember it: 8
-Percentage of women who say they've climaxed while asleep: 4
-The AW's top sex dream: being submissive
-The man of her dreams: her current bedmate
-Runner's up:
1. an ex
2. a male friend
3. a made-up hottie

-Percentage of women who say they've dreamed about a celeb: 35
-The star: Brad Pitt

-Dream the AW would make a reality if she could: eating without ever gaining a pound
-Phases in the AW's life during which she dreams the most: adolescence and pregnancy
-What the AW dreams about when knocked up: swimming and fish
-Daytime activity that spurs the AW's dreams: learning something new
-Daytime activity that stifles them: exercise
-Reason: muscle repair during sleep may block the creative process