Dreams can tell us a lot about our hopes, fears and deepest desires. But did you know that a lot of the same ‘dream themes’ are shared across the nation? To celebrate the launch of our new Dream Catcher cocktail, we’ve teamed up with renowned dream expert, Theresa Cheung, to decipher the UK’s most common dreaming habits and explain what they actually mean. To get started, we decided to do a little research into the land of nod to discover which dream themes are the most common across the UK.
Sweet dreams! Check out Theresa Cheung’s tips and discover our Dream Catcher cocktail
Not only was our study able to reveal that millions of UK adults are having the same dreams every night, it also identified the most common theme – falling in love! That’s right, a whopping 12% of those we asked confessed to a recurring dream around falling in love, so it seems we’re a nation of hopeless romantics.
Other popular dreams included achieving life goals and losing teeth (both 9%), followed by 7% who dreamed about having superpowers or winning the lottery.
A massive 95% of people revealed they had their most common dream at least once a month, with the average person experiencing it twice a week. 61% shared that their dreams impact their mood or interactions the next morning, while 5% confessed that they never dream at all.
Our research also revealed that a significant number of UK adults avoid certain foods and drinks before going to bed to avoid having weird dreams, with cheese (28%), coffee (27%), chocolate (10%) and garlic (10%) coming out on top.
Theresa Cheung
Theresa Cheung, a Sunday Times bestselling author, joined us to discuss the UK’s dream habits, saying:
“Eating anything, whether it is cheese-rich or not, right before you go to sleep is going to influence your dreams but contrary to popular belief, isn’t guaranteed to give you nightmares. Late night meals require your body to focus on digestion rather than winding down for a good night's sleep, meaning your sleep may be lighter causing you to wake up more and have a less restful night’s sleep.”
Theresa recommended avoiding eating at least two hours before bedtime, and that certain drinks like a hot milky beverage or herbal tea before bed can be comforting – which will be music to the ears of the 23% who believe hot milk is the perfect nightcap.
Our research also reveals that people across the UK are increasingly curious about their dreams, with a quarter of people aged 25 to 34 frequently searching for the meaning of them. Interestingly, nearly two-thirds of those aged 55 and older claim they never look up the meaning of their dreams, suggesting a generational difference in dream interpretation.
Remembering dreams is often the tricky part. 43% of those we asked said they only dream once a night, with just one in ten saying they have multiple. When asked about these findings, Theresa said:
“We have about 3-6 dreams per night, we just don’t remember them. Dreams of falling are often inspired by our subconscious desires for excitement or adventure and deeper emotional connections so it’s interesting to see these come out on top. Dreams about achieving a goal are typically driven by a desire for success or a longing for a deeper sense of purpose. They can be hugely motivating for the dreamer before they begin taking on life challenges.”
Providing some tips for remembering your dreams, Theresa said:
“To help, on waking, keep still in your comfy bed for at least two minutes, ideally with your eyes closed. Any movement, even blinking, will redirect your focus from your unconscious. When memories surface, immediately write them down in a dream journal. If you can't recall anything, write down the words 'I feel', as how you feel when you wake up will have been inspired by a vision in a dream, and writing down these feelings may trigger a dream memory.
“Having comforting dreams and a good night’s sleep all comes down to ensuring you have a restful, cocooning sleeping environment. So, a comfortable bed and bedding and a black out blind to ensure total darkness are all hugely beneficial and encourage sweeter dreams.
“The more satisfying your sleeping experience is, the more likely you are to recall your dreams and for those dreams to be creative, cathartic and inspiring,” said Theresa. “The stress of an uncomfortable bed can trigger energy draining nightmares and accompanying fatigue and anxiety.”
Sarah Simpson, our Head of Product & Propositions added:
"Creating the ideal environment for a good night’s sleep whether at home or when staying away is vital for experiencing that ‘cocooned’ feeling. Investing in a supportive mattress, the right firmness of pillow and a comforting duvet all add up to helping ensure you can rest easy and slip off into dreamland!"
All this research comes just after we announced the launch of our very own signature cocktail – the Dream Catcher! Created by renowned mixologist Pritesh Mody, our tasty new cocktail is a festive take on the classic Pornstar Martini, adding a bit of winter spice with a warming ginger twist. Its purple colour looks pretty dreamy too, as does the cloud like foam on top!
The good news is that you can enjoy this exclusive, dreamy blend of vodka, passion fruit, citrus and ginger in over 250 of our hotel bars, perfect for kicking off festive nights out or team events this Christmas. Best of all, the Dream Catcher is included as part of our 2 for £12* cocktail deal from 5pm! Our stylish bar and restaurant, The Social, is now open at a number of locations across the UK too, including London Stratford, London Hampstead, Manchester Piccadilly and Durham City Centre.
Made and manufactured in the UK, our new cocktail has been created with sustainable principles at its heart, using British vodka and a citrus alternative to cut down on the carbon footprint associated with far-flung fruits. The Dream Catcher is also part of World of Zing’s range that uses the Frugal Bottle, a sustainable alternative to traditional glass and plastic bottles. Made from 94% recycled paperboard with a food-grade pouch, it’s five times lighter than glass, has a carbon footprint that’s six times lower, and uses 77% less plastic than traditional plastic bottles.
Feeling the festive spirit? Get a little more inn-spiration for Christmas breaks in 2024, check out our festive winter menus and find out more about enjoying a dreamy sleep at our Premier Inn hotels.
*Offer varies according to location.