What Causes Vivid/Crazy/Weird Dreams?

Vivid/crazy/weird dreams can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'life-threatening'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose vivid/crazy/weird dreams, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "vivid/crazy/weird dreams" as a symptom. Here are eight possibilities:

Pregnancy Issues
Diabetes II
Depression
Drug Side-Effects
Anxiety
Stress
Hypoglycemia
Bipolar Disorder

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

jumpiness

having excess body fat

very angry/hostile disposition

high refined sugar consumption

regular night terrors

frequent sleep paralysis

incoherent speech

temple-based headaches

Latin / Hispanic ethnicity

weak appetite

recent oily hair

frequent unexplained sadness/crying

... and more than 140 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of vivid/crazy/weird dreams:

Cause	Probability	Status
Stress	91%	Confirm
Pregnancy Issues	27%	Unlikely
Diabetes II	23%	Unlikely
Drug Side-Effects	0%	Ruled out
Hypoglycemia	0%	Ruled out
Depression	0%	Ruled out
Anxiety	0%	Ruled out
Bipolar Disorder	0%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

In the Sleep-Related Symptoms section of the questionnaire, The Analyst™ will ask the following question about frequency of bizarre/vivid dreams:

Roughly how often do you experience very strange dreams? Do not include scary dreams (nightmares).

Possible responses:

→ Don't know / I (usually) don't remember my dreams
→ Never / rarely / less than once a year
→ Occasionally, less than once a month
→ Regularly, more than once a month
→ Frequently, more than once a week

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate absence of bizarre dreams, occasional bizarre dreams, regular bizarre dreams or frequent bizarre dreams, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

(Prescription) Drug Side-Effects

Certain medications can increase vivid dreaming, for example depression medication, sleep medication, and some over-the-counter drugs.

Anxiety

Those who suffer from anxiety will often have prolonged, vivid, detailed dreams rather than the usual short bursts of dream activity. There is increased activity in the brain of an anxious person.

Bipolar Disorder, Manic-Depressive

Those with bipolar disorder can experience very vivid dreams.

Depression

Studies have shown that people with depression can have three or four times the normal number of dreams.

Diabetes Type II

Diabetes disrupts REM sleep and affects the brain's ability to separate dreams from waking perceptions.

Hypoglycemia

When the brain senses low glucose levels, it will employ various mechanisms to try and rectify the situation. One way is by releasing adrenaline, which can cause vivid dreams that are accompanied by a feeling of being "wired" (nervous, tense, on edge, highly stimulated).

Pregnancy-Related Issues

Many pregnant women experience vivid dreams, both pleasant and disturbing. These appear to be caused by hormonal changes and are a way for an expectant mother to come to terms with the fears that accompany the birth of a child.

Stress

It is believed that when a person is stressed, the brain has difficulty processing all the information that it picks up during the day. It continues to process during the night, which in turn can lead to weird dreams.

... and also rule out issues such as:

Vitamin B6 Requirement

Vivid dreams can be a warning sign of excess vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) in the body, which can lead to neurological disorders if it continues.

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™