Secret Meanings Behind Every Type Of Sex Dream – Health Digest

According to a 2016 study conducted by Reebok, the average American spends just 0.45% of his or her life having sex. Nevertheless, Amerisleep revealed that 62% of men and 55% of women dream about sex. In fact, when asked what their most common dreams were, both men and women said dreams of a sexual nature were among the most recurring. 

However, sex dreams do not always have to be interpreted literally (via Medical News Today). They may simply be fantasies, a way of your mind indulging in something you might not ever attempt in waking life. Or it could be a means of examining deep-rooted feelings or unprocessed emotions. For example, a person who struggles with feelings of rejection may also dream of being sexually spurned. Or, conversely, someone who does not feel empowered in their everyday life may find themselves dreaming about having greater sexual prowess and power in the bedroom. These are some of the most common sex dreams and what they may actually be trying to tell you. 

If you have woken up after dreaming about a passionate encounter with an ex-lover, don’t feel too bad about it. According to dream analyst Lauri Loewenberg (via Men’s Health), it’s fairly common, especially if you’ve been through a recent breakup. It can be a sign that your subconscious is trying to make peace with the idea of the relationship ending. Even cases of dreaming about an ex from a long time ago could simply be your mind trying to reconcile the lessons of the past. 

Additionally, according to Choosing Therapy, there could be other external factors in your day-to-day life that could be influencing your dreams. For example, if you and your current partner have recently had an argument and you went to bed angry, your subconscious mind may manifest your ex as a representation of your avoiding your current conflict and retreating into a fantasy. It could also mean that you have fears of reemerging patterns in your current relationship. 

According to Practical Psychology, dreams of having sex with a stranger could represent a longing to be independent, with the stranger representing challenges or obstacles in your life that you have yet to overcome. It could also mean that you are looking to break out of your routine and challenge people’s expectations of you, or even expectations that you have of yourself. In addition, dreaming about having sex with a stranger could be indicative of a desire to break free from repression and explore a wilder, more sexually open side of yourself. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you literally want to have sex with strangers, but simply that you want to try things that you have been afraid to try up to this point. 

Examining stranger sex from a more spiritual perspective, Longevity reports that you may be looking to tap into a deeper form of intimacy. The stranger in your dream might be a stand-in for your own hidden thoughts, desires, and fears and embracing an intimate encounter with this side of yourself is representative of wanting to know that side better. It might also be your way of reconciling parts of yourself that you have previously been uncomfortable with but are now more ready to confront.  

Having dreams about bondage, discipline, sadism, and masochism, or BDSM doesn’t necessarily have to mean that you’re into kinky sex, although it can. Speaking to Greatist, psychologist and sex therapist Dr. Janet Brito says that part of it depends on the context of the dream and what is taking place. If you’re the one asserting control, it could mean a desire to take a more active and forceful role in the events of your life. Or, if the reverse is the case, it could be indicative of a desire to surrender. 

There could also be some childhood elements that are at work in your subconscious, manifesting themselves in the form of spicy dreams (via Healthline). If you’re dreaming about some kind of bondage or discipline scenario, it’s possible that you had overbearing parents, which has led to a subconscious desire to be controlled. As a result, in your dreams, the idea of being dominated by an object of your affection, namely a partner or lover, may overtake you. 

People who are secretly thrill seekers may find their dreams populated by scenarios of sex in public (via XoNecole). It could also represent a feeling of vulnerability or having a secret that you have been hiding from someone close to you. The location may also be a factor in unraveling the meaning behind public sex dreams. If you’re dreaming about, say, sex at work, it could be a sign that your work is consuming your thoughts, and it’s up to you to work out what may be troubling you in that area. 

These dreams could also indicate a suppressed desire to actually have sex in front of others, according to psychologist August J. Cwik, speaking to the Huffington Post. However, it could also be a sign of repressed phobias, particularly social fears. If you are afraid of speaking in public or tend to be more shy or withdrawn in public settings, these types of dreams could be speaking to your secret desire to break free of those fears once and for all. 

People who have had dreams about so-called taboo, forbidden, or even immoral sex practices, such as group sex, anal sex, or sex with someone of their own gender (assuming they are straight in their waking life), might feel concerned when waking up. However, if you’re a cisgender woman who has a dream about sex with a female friend, it doesn’t have to mean that you actually want to experiment that way. It could simply mean you feel a bond with this other woman, and the brain is processing it in a rather unexpected way. 

Having a dream of multiple partners, such as a threesome, could be a sign that you are looking to bring something new into the relationship (via Elite Daily). That does not have to mean another sex partner. It could just be a new activity or another element that may bring you both closer. However, if you and your partner are actually discussing trying a threesome, this type of dream may serve as a sort of “dress rehearsal,” giving your brain a chance to see how such a scenario may play out. 

Work dreams, from forgetting a major presentation to showing up at the office naked, are fairly common. According to a 2020 survey conducted by Clocks & Sleep, more than 70% of the people profiled have work-related dreams regularly. Additionally, in a 2013 poll conducted by Statista, 85% of people who responded admitted to having dreams involving sex with a coworker. However, before you start considering a transfer, this may not be a sign that you’re looking to get down and dirty at work. 

Sex with a coworker dreams may simply happen because of the sheer amount of time we spend at work (via Bustle). As a result, the people we work alongside may be creeping into our subconscious in surprising ways. Plus, the taboo aspect of sleeping with a peer can also make the concept thrilling. However, if you aren’t attracted to a coworker, it could be a sign that you have unresolved issues in your own relationship, and this kind of dalliance may be a way of almost subconsciously “getting back” at your significant other. 

Everyone has had, or even currently still has, a celebrity crush or two. And that crush may well manifest itself in the form of sexual fantasies. However, dreaming about a roll in the hay with your favorite movie star could also mean that you’re hungry for power and influence. If you’re dreaming about someone who you follow or admire, it could represent a sexual attraction to that person. But if you’re dreaming about a celebrity that you’re not familiar with, it might be a sign that you’re in search of some kind of validation. 

There could also be something about that celebrity or their work that you identify with and that has some meaning to your life (via Hello Giggles). If there is a movie, a book, or a song that a celebrity has released that spoke to you in some way, your sex dream may be a response to that. It could also be that this particular celebrity has qualities that you find desirable in a partner and therefore are drawn to them.  

The meaning behind dreaming about indulging in a little bit of self-love could possibly be traced back to your thoughts on masturbation in general (via Refinery29). If you have some issues around touching yourself, such as thinking it’s a dirty, taboo, or forbidden practice, your subconscious may be working through those feelings. You may also be feeling some sexual frustration stemming from your feelings about sex and masturbation, and your dreams can provide a way to release some of that tension. 

In addition, there could be an unconscious need to love yourself or release yourself from self-imposed feelings of repression (via Mindberg). These feelings could be related to sex, or they could simply be reflective of unresolved stress or frustration with expressing yourself. If you dream about masturbating, it may simply mean that you are looking to explore some previously unexamined sides of yourself and let loose a bit more in your waking life. 

No one likes to imagine their significant other sleeping around with someone else behind their back, much less have that thought intrude on their dreams. According to Amerisleep, 23% of people dream about a cheating partner, with 31% of women having the dream more often. These dreams could stem from a feeling of betrayal, per Refinery29. It may be unresolved feelings about a lack of communication from your partner, or it could be related to problems with a friend, family member, or coworker.   

Hello Giggles reports that dreams of being cheated on could be an indication of your own insecurities about yourself or your relationship. For people who have been cheated on before, however, these types of dreams may be your past experience making it difficult for you to trust your current partner. In those cases, the best thing you can do is express your feelings to your partner, let them know about your past traumas, and help them to reassure you that your dreams have no chance of coming true.