It’s a common fact that everyone dreams in his or her sleep. A person might have five to six dreams a night, although the average person will only remember about two of those dreams.

Dreams themselves are known to be individualistic to the dreamer; however, dreams are known to range from wacky and vivid to mild and vague. In fact, some people only dream in color while other people dream just in black and white. The dreaming process has been questioned by many psychologists who try to figure out a logical understanding as to why we dream, as well as what is reasonable for creating whacking interpretations of situations, events, and circumstances in people’s dreams?

Here are the top eight things that influence a person’s dreams:

1. Everyday sounds  

Sometimes everyday sounds such a notification alert, a particular song, or a ringing phone may make it into your dream simply because of the number of times you have heard it in a day. Like a particular sound may stick in your memory either because you liked it, or it annoyed you. Either way, the sound caught your attention, and you remembered it, and thus it played in your dream. However everyday sounds can influence your dreams for an entirely different reason too. Additionally, sounds like an alarm clock, notification alert, or fire alarm might actually sound off in your dreams because they might be happening in real life. Therefore, it’s important to pay attention to your dreams not just after you wake up but while your sleeping too.

2. Everyday scents

It’s commonly known that bad smelling scents evoke an unpleasant and disturbing attitude. Similarly, gross smelling aromas such as rotten eggs and spoiled milk induce negative and frightening dreams. On the other hand, pleasant smells like flowers and candles provoke positive and enjoyable dreams. Depending on where you live, how you live, and if you experience disturbing dreams, it might be to your benefit if you buy a bundle of flowers or burn a nice smelling candle. Such pleasant smells will help you have a better night’s rest.

3. Sleeping position

Some people don’t believe that changing their sleeping position has any influence on the types of dreams they have. However, it’s been proven that if you sleep on your stomach, you’re more likely to have an erotic dream. In fact, there are many parallels between sleeping on your stomach and sex. For example, sleeping on your stomach not only hinders your breathing ability but also stimulates your gentiles with the bed. Therefore, sleeping on your stomach can influence new erotic dreams.

4. Frame of mind

As it’s been said, dreams are individualistic to the dreamer, and therefore the dreamer can have a direct influence on the dream itself. Some people experience depression and anxiety throughout their lives, and in their dreams, such a disorder doesn’t go unnoticed. In fact, people who have depression or anxiety are likely to dream in black and white as well as experience dreams with disturbing weather patterns like rain and tornadoes. However, people who are happy are known to dream in vivid colors as well as experience dreams on a sunny day. Therefore, a person’s attitude or mood is crucial to the creation of a dream. In fact, dreams usually reflect an event or situation that deals with unresolved feelings or emotions. Not all dreams might allude to this symbolism, but some might strike as essential to your frame of mind.

5. Absence from cravings

It’s commonly remarked in books, TV shows, and in everyday life that people love what they can’t have. People who abuse drugs, alcohol and cigarettes are known to dream about using them when trying to quit. Some people even fall prey to using again after a tantalizing dream. Although, people who abuse substances aren’t the only people to dream about cravings. People who go on a diet usually dream about their favorite food whether it be pizza, ice cream, or a candy bar. Therefore, dreaming about your cravings is not only normal, but it’s natural. It’s your body telling you what it wants, however, whether you should give in or not is up to you.

6. Medication  

Many people use medicine for different reasons; however, some medication can interfere with the natural dreaming process. In fact, some medicines intensify a person’s dreams by making a dream more colorful, vivid, and absurd. Although, some medication influences how a person remembers his or her dreams. Depending on the medication, some people might remember more than half of their dreams or none at all. Therefore, medication plays an essential role in not only how a person dreams but also what a person remembers.

7. Hunger

Some people go to bed hungry; however, hunger can have a massive impact on your dreams. Since going to sleep hungry will decrease your blood sugar your more than likely to wake up multiple times during your sleep which will increase the number of dreams you’ll remember. Also, when you go to sleep hungry, you’re likely going to dream of different types of food. Sometimes the food might not be a prominent part of the dream while in other circumstances it will be the entire dream. Therefore, going to sleep hungry can influence the subject of your dream as well as how many dreams you’ll remember.

8. Food and drinks

Certain types of food and beverages will influence how you dream. For example, blue cheese is known to generate scary and intense dreams; however, Cheshire can evoke an enjoyable rest. Additionally, energy drinks and sodas can interfere with the natural dreaming process, thus inducing dreams that might be unusual or silly. Some people have found that energy drinks and sodas evoke disturbing dreams as well; however, not everyone might have that same experience. Due to the high amount of caffeine, some people experience multiple wake ups during the night while others simply sleep through the night. Every individual has a different reaction to caffeine and how it affects his or her sleep patterns.