There are dreams that are truly distressing, without the need for shocking or dangerous images, such as dreaming about being shot. Simply feeling like you can’t move or speak while you rest is enough to be considered a nightmare. But there is an even more uncomfortable dream: the one where you can’t breathe.
The feeling of shortness of breath while you sleep is closely related to an anxiety disorder. Difficulty breathing is one of the signs dictated by experts, so you would be one step away from a panic attack.
But from oneirology, a science that studies the interpretation of what we dream, it is a warning from your subconscious. Dreaming that you can’t breathe means that there are people or reasons that are stealing your strength and enthusiasm..
Dreaming that you can’t breathe is very common in people with emotional instability.
The most exact meaning of Dreaming that you can’t breathe, outside of an anxiety crisis, implies that you are not having control of the emotions in your life.. Maybe you are going through a toxic relationship, maybe you have a partner who wants to go with you everywhere, without giving you your time or personal space.
Another reason is that you feel overwhelmed at your job, without being able to rest enough or you frequently live in debt.. All these situations are absorbed by your subconscious, which reflects it with the feeling of not being able to breathe or with the image that they are chasing you to kill you.
The most distressing part of this dream is that it prevents you from waking up, and even if you are living a lucid dream, which is when you become aware that you are dreaming, it is likely that you will still have a hard time opening your eyes.
Feelings of infidelity in your relationship, suffering from social pressure to be a mother or getting married, when you don’t yet want to, are also reasons that take your breath away while you sleep.
If you tend to dream that you can’t breathe very frequently, it is recommended that you attend psychological therapy. These types of dreams limit your rest, which can begin to affect your health.
With proper professional help, You could identify the reasons that lead you to that feeling and what personal tools or home remedies you can use to rest as you deserve.. If you do not find a solution, the anxiety would lead you to develop an anxiety disorder and you could even feel afraid of falling asleep, which is known as hypnophobia or somniphobia.