It's Sleep Week on The Project, meaning it's time to talk all things shut-eye. Today we're looking the mysteries and meanings behind our dreams.
Unless you're one of those rare people who are straight into blackness as soon as their head hits the pillow, you're guaranteed to have been rocked by a strange or frightening dream at some point.
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According to a new poll conducted by Newsweek in the US, up to 43 percent of people believe dreams reveal unconscious desires and wishes.
That means almost half of us buy into what our dreams are telling us, whether that be through an unexpected pregnancy, an exam or falling off a building - why are they always so unpleasant?
Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud described dreams as the royal road to the unconscious, and suggested that by studying the obvious content of dreams, we could then bring to light the hidden and unconscious desires that lead to neurosis.
So what are the hidden meanings in our dreams?
- Falling
Some experts say falling in our dreams suggests a major life problem.
"Dreaming of falling is very common. It is a symbol of fear in real life - perhaps of failing at work or in your love life," claims Russell Grant, author of The Illustrated Dream Dictionary.
"Falling often expresses a need to let yourself go more and enjoy life more."
- Driving an out-of-control vehicle
Dreams about driving off a cliff or a bridge, driving and crashing, speeding and/or losing control of the vehicle may represent bad decisions you are making in your waking life.
The dream may suggest you're being irresponsible in your actions, relationships, or even when you drive.
- Celebrity
If you dream that you are a celebrity, it may be due a subconscious need for recognition or attention from people in your life. If you dream about having sex with a celebrity, it may stem from something deeper.
Author of The Phone Addiction Workbook, Hilda Burke, told Cosmopolitan sex with celebrities is tied to their "symbolic value".
"We project certain qualities onto celebrities - they're either nice, or not nice, or cold, or ambitious," she says.
"Most of us have an instinctive feel about celebrities true or false and we imagine them to be a certain way."
- Being naked in public
Penny Peirce, author of the Dream Dictionary for Dummies, suggests that dreaming of public nudity might indicate that you feel like a phony.
She also suggests it may mean that you're afraid of revealing your imperfections and shortcomings.
- Taking a test
According to Craig Hamilton-Parker, author of The Hidden Meaning of Dreams, taking an exam your dreams might reveal an underlying fear of failure.
"Examinations are stressful experiences in which you are made to face up to your shortcomings," he writes.
"To dream of failing an exam, being late for one, or being unprepared, shows that you feel unprepared for the challenges of waking life."
Tune in to the Project this week for more Sleep Week.
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