New York State Residents Dream about This Body Part the Most

What did you dream about last night?

Dreams are normally wild, vivid and downright unexplainable. However, it appears our dreams aren't as unique as we think.

Most Common Dreams in NY

The sleep experts of Eachnight conducted a new survey of the top five most common dreams in every state.

In order to do that, they analyzed online search data to determine the most common dreams in each state, considering categories such as"pregnancy dreams" or "dreams about spiders", on monthly search volume per 100,000 residents.

In the end, Eachnight realized that there was a common theme not just among New Yorkers, but across the entire United States.

In fact, they determined the Empire State's most common dream is also #1 across the country.

What New Yorkers See the Most in The Sleep

Starting off the list in fifth place is a little naughty. If you find yourself starring in hot and heavy dream sequences at night, you're not alone. In fact, New Yorkers look up what these dreams mean 3,710 times a month.

Dr. Chester Wu, who is double board-certified in Psychiatry, offered commentary about what this type of dream means:

Intimate dreams can be a way to explore your sexuality, express your desires, or process your sexual experiences. They can also be a sign of stress, anxiety, or relationship problems. While there is some understanding of the brain's activity during such dreams—including increased activity in areas related to pleasure and emotion—the specific reasons for their occurrence aren't well understood scientifically.

In fourth place were pregnancy dreams - which is odd considering only half the state's population are women. However, that still dominated monthly search results with 4,020 inquiries made across various websites.

Dr. Wu said people have this dream either because they want to be pregnant or are afraid of becoming pregnant.

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Snakes were the third-most common dream in New York. Every month, 4,157 people across the state look up what these slithery creatures mean in dreams.

As for what these kind of dreams mean, Dr. Wu said the imagery is associated with feelings of "fear, anxiety, or uncertainty" in life.

The second-most common dream are... nightmares. Yep, just nightmares. No specific scary scenarios or themes.

Still, an average of 6,949 New Yorkers try to google why they had a nightmare.

Said Dr. Wu:

Nightmares are more common in children than adults, but these dreams can occur at any age. They can be caused by a variety of factors – including stress, anxiety, trauma, and sleep disorders – and can cause feelings of fear, anxiety, or even terror. From a biological perspective, nightmares occur during the REM phase of sleep, but the exact reasons for their themes or content remain unknown.

So, if you're constantly plagued by unsettling dreams, at least you have a slight idea why that is now.

Fear of Powerlessness

Out of all the things people dream about most in the United States, especially here in New York, teeth are the #1 most-commonly occuring theme.

Apparently, when people dream about teeth, it normally revolves around them falling out in a very unsettling way.

An average of 7,730 New Yorkers find themselves looking up why they had such an unsettling dream.

On a national scale, dreams about teeth scored an average search volume of 36,209 per month over the past year.

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So, if you experienced something similar in recent weeks, just know Dr. Wu has an idea what these dreams represent.

"Dreams about losing teeth or dental issues are common and have been linked to anxiety, feelings of powerlessness, or fear of helplessness," he said. "Some research suggests that teeth-related dreams may also be linked to dental irritation during sleep, such as teeth grinding or clenching."

If that strikes a nerve, then think about what's causing you some additional anxiety as of late - or focus on how your mouth feels when you wake up in the morning.

About 1 in 10 adults grind their teeth or clench their jaw when they sleep, says Cedars- Sinai. The medical term is called bruxism, which is usually triggered by increased stress or anxiety.

Bruxism can also lead to fractured teeth, headaches, problems with the jaw and joints, and also restrict a jaw's range of motion.

A dentist can easily spot signs of bruxism and develop a treatment plan to prevent further damage.

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