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Feeling feverish - It is no great secret that having a fever can make you feel awful. With an elevated body temperature, you might experience headaches, nausea, and/or aches and pains.

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Further fever symptoms -

One fever symptom that tends to receive less attention, however, is cognitive and mood changes. In particular, having a fever can strongly impact your sleep.

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Fever dreams - Indeed, many people report experiencing more intense, disturbing, and repetitive dreams when they have a fever compared with when they don’t.

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Existing research -

Although the research on the specific characteristics of fever dreams is limited, the existing studies are interesting. They suggest fever dreams are very real and quite common.

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2020 study - In one study from 2020, for example, researchers looked at the fever dream details shared by a group of 100 participants.

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Findings -

In general, the dreams were stranger and more negative than normal dreams, and certain themes were repeated, such as health and temperature.

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2016 study -

The 2020 confirmed the findings of a previous study conducted in 2016, which looked at the reported contents of 62 participants’ fever dreams.

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Findings - This study found that the fever dreams were generally more surreal and more intense than non-fever dreams, and that they had an overall negative tone.

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Further studies - Other studies have confirmed the findings of these two studies, as well as identifying other attributes common to fever dreams.

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Common attributes -

Common fever dream attributes include spatial distortions, such as moving walls or animals with oversized legs and arms and threatening images, such as scary dogs or insects.

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Causes -

The favorite explanation for why having a high temperature causes fever dreams is that the brain doesn’t cope well when it’s too hot.

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Hot head -

When you have a fever and your core body temperature rises, your brain overheats. This causes it to function worse than usual, and your dreams become stranger as a result.

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Parallel -

Interestingly, the same thing happens in the context of an allergic reaction, which can also cause the body to overheat.

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General explanation - Indeed, scientists generally believe that fever dreams occur when body temperature is elevated and there is some sort of irritant–whether it be an allergen or a virus–present.

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Problems with regulation -

Having a high temperature also might mean that your body is less able to regulate its sleep and also  less able to control the four stages of sleep.

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The role of REM - This can result in the early initiation of, or too much time spent in, REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is the stage of sleep in which we experience dreaming.

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The role of psychology -

Finally, there are certain psychological conditions, such as depression or sleep disorders, that can make people more prone to fever dreams.

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Medication -

There are also certain medications that can trigger strange dreams, some of which, ironically, are prescribed for sleep disorders.

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Interpreting fever dreams - When it comes to interpreting fever dreams, it is worth remembering that the same dream can be interpreted differently from one person to the next.

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Common thread -

However, there is often a common thread. For example, a scary figure or frightening experience may well represent the fever itself.

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Symbolic meaning - The experience of a fever dream may also represent the fact that you are trying to avoid something or run away from it.

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Fear - The negative imagery or scary narratives of your dream may represent the fear or concerns you have when you have a fever.

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No cause for concern -

For the most part, fever dreams are nothing to worry about. At most they are a minor annoyance and they tend to go away after a day or two.

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When to see a doctor -

However, if you are experiencing fever dreams and there is no obvious fever or medication that could be causing them, it may be time to see a doctor.

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Underlying health condition -

Your fever dreams could be caused by an underlying health condition, so it is worth going to a healthcare professional for advice.

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Mental health specialist -

If your fever dreams are affecting you emotionally, you may also seek the help of a mental health professional, perhaps one who specializes in psychoanalysis.

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Warning signs -

Finally, although a fever does not usually require medical attention, it is important to recognize their warning signs.

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In an emergency -

Do not wait to seek medical attention if you experience sever symptoms, such as a noticeable change is cognitive abilities, a racing heartbeat, or trouble breathing.

Sources: (Verywell Mind)

See also: The most common dreams by country (and what they mean)

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