4 vivid dreams – or 'Quarandreams' – and what they mean... Have you had them?

We all dream but since lockdown they've turned into more vivid dreams – a subject that has continued to dominate socially-distanced or video dialled conversations. And now that restrictions are beginning to ease, could our dreams mean something a little deeper? 

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Some of the most freaky and unusual ‘quaran-dreams’ – which is a new thing to sweep the landscape – have been shared by people across the UK and brought to life by bed specialist Time4Sleep with some (very cool) movie-poster style images. They've also teamed up with professional dream expert – Lauri Loewenberg – to reveal the true meaning behind our unusual dreams as lockdown restrictions begin to ease.

Keep scrolling to see four of the weird and wonderful dreams which have been shared with us, and where you could improve the quality (and comfort) of your sleep with a new mattress. 

Vivid dream #1: Escape rooms

Laura, a 27-year-old admin assistant from Sheffield says...

'My boyfriend turned our house into an escape room and I made my way through all the levels solving puzzles and going from room to room thinking it was such a great idea and a lovely thing for him to do for me. Then I went into the final room and it was like a scene from the saw film and he tried to kill me.' 

Lauri says: 'This dream could be a reflection of the dreamer’s relationship with her boyfriend while in lockdown. At first it was fun and challenging, but now she is realising that this is a situation she wants to escape from; not necessarily the relationship but the difficulties lockdown is bringing to the relationship.

'Murder in dreams usually means the dreamer is feeling pressured to end or change something in real life. So this dreamer may be realising there are certain dynamics within the relationship that need to change.' 

Vivid dream #2: Zombies

A Lockdown Dream presented by Billy, a designer from York says...

'I’ve been having recurring dreams about zombies and I’m always defending my house from them. I haven’t been watching The Walking Dead or any horror related movies either.'

Lauri says: 'Zombie dreams are very common right now. There are several reasons why a zombie is a popular choice to personify Covid-19. This virus can be deadly and quarantine can certainly feel like an apocalypse – we tend to equate zombies with an apocalypse. Also, if a "zombie" bites you, you turn into a zombie. Similarly, you can catch the virus. This is why the dreamer was defending his home – we are all trying to defend our homes right now.' 

Vivid dream #3: Hamsters (?!)

Beth, a 31-year-old PR director from Liverpool says...

'I dreamed my hamster had babies (even though it’s a boy), but due to lockdown I couldn’t get hold of enough separate cages and they kept breeding and multiplying until I had over 100 in my flat, which was not ideal!'

Lauri says: 'Infestations are a common element in dreams recently. Infestations often mean there are a multitude of issues the dreamer is dealing with. In this dream, I think the multiplying hamsters represents frustration due to the dreamer feeling caged in like an animal.' 

Vivid dream #4: Mazes

Stephanie, a 30-year-old teacher from Leeds says...

'Me and two of my friends were in a maze but in front of us and behind us it was completely dark and the walls of the maze were actually like a little boutique shop with all Alice in Wonderland things! So we were shopping and walking but worried and chilled at the same time...all very mixed emotions.'

Lauri says: 'The maze likely represents this "new normal" that we are all trying to navigate. Since this dreamer is a teacher, the Alice in Wonderland elements in the dream suggest she may be discovering wonderful and interesting new ways to teach her students from home.' 

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