(ETX Daily Up) – Dreaming is an essential activity for humans, who spend an average of 100 minutes per night on it, especially during paradoxical sleep. But what are these dreams made of, and do we really remember them when we wake up? It also appears that men and women do not dream of the same things.
Feeling of endless falling, teeth falling out, chase… Our dreams seem to correspond to universal scenarios. But if we are to believe a survey by bedding specialist Wopilo*, the content of dreams varies depending on the gender. Women report generally more positive and happy dreams than men. 41% of them even regularly have nightmares that wake them up, which only happens to 34% of the women surveyed.
Women often dream of personal relationships, whether familial, friendly or romantic, while men delve more into work-related scenarios or events seemingly disconnected from their daily lives. These male dreams are frequently accompanied by intense fear, especially among men over 40 (42%).
But what do we do with these dreams? Here again, the gender differences are striking. Nearly a third of men (32%) admit to completely ignoring their dreams, an attitude that is even more pronounced among those under 30. On the other hand, women regularly seek to interpret these nocturnal messages: 47% analyze them in depth and nearly 80% discuss them with those around them. For many, these dreams are an emotional compass, particularly among women over 51, 65% of whom see them as a lever to improve their well-being.
For some, dreams inspire concrete decisions. More than a third of women aged 20 to 35 say they have already made a decision influenced by a dream. Finally, 28% of those questioned say they experience premonitory dreams on occasion, a proportion which drops to less than 10% among those over 51, both men and women.
Whatever their content, our dreams play an essential role in our mental health. But also in the proper functioning of our brain. Indeed, dreaming helps us to fragment our emotions, and to recombine them with old memories to better tame them. “[Les songes] also allow our unconscious to “debrief” events experienced during our waking life, and thus help everyone to manage their constraints as best as possible”, underlines Dr Alexandre Aranda, neurologist and Wopilo ambassador.
In this sense, even nightmares have their usefulness: although difficult to live with in the moment, they are proof that our brain is training to face challenges. Whether they are happy, disturbing or prophetic, our dreams are much more than a simple reflection of our nights. They are valuable tools for deciphering our emotions and, sometimes, enlightening our life choices.
*This survey was conducted among 902 people between December 10 and 12, 2024.
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