From losing teeth to free-falling, these are the most common nightmares

Talk about the witching hour.

Losing teeth, falling from heights, being chased — oh my! Those are just some of the most common nightmares that plague sleepers, who may be confused as to why the ghastly dreams occur.

An Amerisleep survey of 2,000 people conducted last year found that falling is the most common nightmare reported by just over 64% of respondents, while being chased, dying and feeling lost. Other frequent nightmares include missing an important event, waking up late, paralysis, death of a loved one, your house burning down and your teeth falling out.

While dreams are typically a reaction to stress, medication, mental health conditions or poor sleep, some nightmares are believed to have more specific causes.

Experts suggest that the feeling of falling or dreaming of falling is a response to the body relaxing and falling asleep, which is often followed by the person suddenly jerking awake. Healthline also lists insecurity, anxiety or feeling overwhelmed and out of control as reasons for the phenomenon.

A little over 63% of people polled by Amerisleep reported dreams of being chased, which author and educator Dr. Leslie Ellis said is “one of the most common nightmare themes.”

“It’s interesting that across time and cultures, human beings tend to have very similar dream themes, and often these are related to survival impulses,” she told New York Magazine’s The Cut.

She claimed that dreaming of being chased can be linked to the innate flight or fight response, “a signal that the person’s stress levels are elevated because they are experiencing some kind of threat.”

“More often than not, a chasing dream has to do with what we are running away from,” Indigenous mystic and newsletter author Autumn Fourkiller told The Cut.

“This can take a multitude of forms: a heavy conversation, a deadline, doing the dishes, etc. Any stressful period in life can bring about chasing dreams, and they are especially common for those of us who avoid confrontation, conflict, and big displays of emotion.”

Losing teeth is also a common dream, affecting approximately 34% of people surveyed, and the nightmarish scenario could have multiple causes.

Experts previously told Psych Central that losing teeth in a dream could be a symptom of stress, negative self-image or a manifestation of a fear, such as saying the wrong thing to someone.

“Your teeth are a symbol of pride and strength,” said marriage family therapist Megan Harrison. “The dream may represent feelings of inadequacy or vulnerability in your life.”

According to research by Get Laid Beds, it is the most commonly reported nightmare. The company cited Google data that showed monthly searches for teeth-related nightmares totaled an average of 66,600 globally.

Because nightmares are most commonly triggered by real-life stress, Doctor Fox sleep expert Dr. Deborah Lee recommends five methods for mitigating anxiety and decreasing the frequency of nightmares.

Lee, who partnered with Get Laid Beds, said to avoid looking at screens — such as your smartphone — that give off blue light, which experts believe could influence sleep quality.

“You will get tempted to doom-scroll, flooding your mind with other distractions from sleeping and it’ll be much harder to get back to sleep, especially after a nightmare,” she said of phone use before bed.

But some distractions are welcome, such as reading a book or listening to calming noise or music as you fall sleep, she added.

She also recommends the “4-7-8 Method,” a breathing tactic meant for relaxation.

“This is a really common tactic for managing stress and anxiety and works by counteracting the stress response that has been triggered by your bad dream,” she explained.

“First, you need to breathe in for four seconds. Then, hold your breath for seven seconds. Once the first two steps are done, exhale for eight seconds. Do this once or twice and it should help activate the parasympathetic nervous system and calm you down.”

If the nightmares persist, try keeping a journal to get to the bottom of what’s triggering the dreams.

“Writing a daily journal of your thoughts, feelings, food and alcohol intake will help you spot patterns that are leading towards bad dreams,” she said.