WHAT THINGS DO YOU DREAM

Who Knew? 13 Things Your Dreams Reveal About You BY MICHELLE CROUCH     

1. How creative you are . Creative people are more likely to dream about unusual ­settings (rather than home or work) and about obstacles in the natural world, such as a log or a rock they can't get around. 2. Your political views. Self-­described conservatives are more likely to have mundane, realistic dreams, while liberals have more bizarre dreams. Does that mean liberals are more open-minded? Or that they're caught up in their own fantasies? Take your pick. 3. That you've got a heart problem. People who have frequent nightmares may be significantly more likely to suffer from an irregular heartbeat or chest pain compared with those who don't have them, found a study of older adults. That may be because heart problems can make it more difficult to breathe at night. 4. If you're avoiding something. Do you dream about being pursued by a stranger, a monster, or a ­giant tidal wave? This could indicate that you're afraid to deal with something in your waking life. Ask yourself what issue, person, or emotion you're not confronting. 5. How fast you'll bounce back from your divorce. Divorced people who have longer, more dramatic dreams about the old relationship are more likely to adjust better to being single. Dreams may help divorced folks (and the rest of us) work through trauma. 6. How you pursue the big answers. Adults who attend church frequently may recall fewer dreams than those who don't attend worship services regularly. If you're not relying on religion to answer big life questions, then your dreams may become a resource for insight. 7. That you're a workaholic. Type A personalities tend to report more disturbing dreams than laid-back folks. Hard-driving types put more pressure on themselves, and that stress can appear in dreams. 8. If you'll ace a test. College students spent an hour learning how to navigate a complex maze. When tested later, the only students whose performance improved were those who had dreamed about the maze during a nap. Dreaming may consolidate memories, which boosts learning and problem-solving skills. 9. Whether you'll give up smoking for good. One study found that the more you dream about smoking-and experience the guilt associated with falling off the wagon (even a phantom wagon)-the more likely you may be to quit. 10. Your risk of Parkinson's. Up to 90 percent of people who act out violent dreams-by punching, kicking, or yelling while asleep-may eventually develop Parkinson's disease. The behavior may indicate REM sleep behavior disorder, an early sign of the disease. 11. Whether you're depressed. Depressed people start dreaming much sooner than others, as early as 45 minutes after falling asleep, rather than the usual 90 minutes. 12. Death may be near. The closer a person is to passing, the more likely he or she is to dream about loved ones who've passed on. 13. What medications you're taking. Many drugs are known to cause bad dreams, including anti­depressants, antibiotics, statins, and some antihistamines.