You have a fever

If you are the type to ignore the signs that you’re under the weather, maybe a freaky nightmare will prove the point. Being sick can trigger nightmares, according to the Mayo Clinic, especially if your illness is accompanied by a fever. If you weren’t paying attention to what your body was trying to tell you before, the morning after that weird nightmare is the time to tune in.

Stress is getting the best of you

You might also be ignoring signs that you’re more than a little stressed out. When we ignore what’s taxing us, those stressors can follow us to bed. Sometimes stress can manifest itself as common dream themes like missing a plane or an oncoming tidal wave, according to DoctorOz.com. Other times a particular bizarre dream might help you to realize it’s time to slow down. Some say that a stress dream might actually be helpful if they reveal what is truly bothering you and point to you why you feeling that way.

Your blood sugar could be low

If people with diabetes experience a serious dip in blood sugar, one possible symptom can be bad dreams and nightmares. Taking too much insulin or certain medications can cause this drop called hypolglycemia. Of course most people with diabetes will recognise early symptoms of low blood sugar before nightmares point out the problem. But hypoglycemia can occur during sleep.

Pregnant? Good news

Many mothers can attest to dreaming more when pregnant. Over those nine months dreams seem to increase in general, but strange or vivid dreams can be particularly common. Although more and scarier dreams aren’t necessarily pleasant, a mom-to-be with upsetting or strange dreams might actually be in luck.

It may be time to consult a mental health specialist

If stress and anxiety can cause such strange and often upsetting dreams, it could come at no surprise that more serious mental health conditions can simply interrupt your sleep. Bipolar disorder is known to cause vivid or bizarre dreams in some people according to WedMD.