Science explains why your dreams turn strange when you’re on holiday

You’ve probably heard that eating cheese too close to bedtime can increase your chances of having bizarre dreams. It turns out, though, that simply being on holiday can have the same effect.

The brain and REM sleep

Studies show that the way the brain interprets new experiences has an important impact on how it operates during REM sleep, the stage that makes up about 25% of your total sleep time and where dreams are most vivid.

New experiences overload the brain

When on holiday, or traveling in general, the brain takes in huge amounts of unfamiliar information, whether it’s sights, sounds, tastes, or smells.

Suddenly, the brain has to organize all this new input, which it does while you’re sleeping. The knock-on effect is that the additional effort required can warp your dreams, making them feel even stranger than usual.

Disrupted sleep routines

Vacations also tend to mean a big change, or lack, of routine, which affects sleep. The normal structure the body uses to regulate sleep cycles vanishes, which can throw off your REM sleep.

This disruption makes sleep more irregular, with the brain sometimes overcompensating in an effort to restore balance. That, in turn, can lead to dreams that are weirder, more vivid, and occasionally even more enjoyable.

Emotional shifts on holiday

Finally, when you’re on holiday, your normal emotional state, often tied to obligations at home, fades away. Feelings and thoughts you’ve been repressing can rise to the surface.

When awake, you may suddenly have time to reflect on things you were too busy for. But when asleep, your brain processes fragments of these emotions in exaggerated or symbolic ways, which often show up as perplexing, or even nonsensical, dreams.

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