Work is the number one theme which comes up in people’s dreams, according to a new poll of 2,000 people.
Carried out by One Poll for Holiday Inn hotels, the survey found that one in three people dream about work when they are stressed, showing that sometimes it is difficult to leave work at the office.
Colleagues often creep into dreams when a conflict has arisen with them that day and 20 per cent of those polled admitted to having regular dreams in which their boss appears.
Issues associated with work are more common in dreams than the appearance of celebrities, showing the impact heavy workloads are having on office staff across the country.
It seems that there is no escape from the job as only 12 per cent of people say they don’t dream at all with the rest dreaming most nights and work dominating those sleeping thoughts.
This night time brain activity does not often help workers to process problems in the workplace, however, as 52 per cent of workers say the dreams don’t make sense.
A further 60 per cent would like to be able to decipher the cryptic messages hidden within the dreams, but instead they just add to the confusion of a given issue.
Davina MacKail, a dream expert, said: “This poll shows that whether we are asleep or awake a problem with a colleague or stress at work can really affect us.”
The scientific study of dreams in known as oneirolgy and a number of dream dictionaries exist, giving possible interpretations for common dreams, though some can have a variety of meanings.
Dealing with problems that arise at work before the end of the working day is a good way to try and cut down on the stress which invades our minds after dark, but this is always difficult.
It is also a good idea not to work late into the night and to do some other form of activity between working and sleeping in order to clear the mind.
A spokesman for Premier Inn said: “Work is a huge part of everyday life and for the majority of us we spend more time there than anywhere else, so it’s not surprising that issues and tensions we have during the day are reflected in the types of dreams we are having.”
