Brace Yourself! COVID-19 Shots Can Give You Wild Dreams

You may be rethinking your decision on getting your COVID-19 shot out of fear of possible side effects, yet the latest info reveals a rather cool one — wild and intense dreams!

A few people that received their Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines reveal the occurrence of vivid, sometimes space-themed dreams two to three days after taking the shot. 

So, what’s the explanation behind this bizarre aftereffect?

Under normal circumstances, scientists believe that we express our inner fears and anxieties through our dreams in most cases. However, dreams can also signal infections and other health conditions. 

That’s to say that the unusual dreams might be both the consequence of being sick and receiving a vaccine. And the reason behind this is quite simple — a low-grade fever.

As with any other vaccine, the main purpose of the COVID-19 vaccine is to provoke your body’s immune system — hence the flu-like symptoms, such as a headache, a fever, chills, fatigue, nausea, and muscle aches.  

In addition, vivid dreams are associated with the so-called deep sleep (REM sleep) — the most recovering part of any shut-eye. So, fatigue and prolonged sleep after getting vaccinated can also cause you to dream more.

Since sleep boosts immunity, having bizarre dreams during your post-vaccination period is actually good news.

Nevertheless, if this still bothers you, you can try to control it by eliminating any environmental noise while you sleep. Also, you can sleep on a soft mattress to ease muscle and arm aches. And to battle the fever, snuggling under your weighted blanket might be a good idea. 

Other unique but non-serious COVID-19 vaccine side effects include: 

• rash and swelling of the arm
• taste of metal in the mouth
• swelling of the face if you have filler injections
• lumps in your armpits (swollen lymph nodes)
• ”vax fog” (brain fog)
• temporary weakness or paralysis of facial muscles
• dizziness

As you can see, having wild dreams is a mild vaccine side effect — a small price to pay for protecting yourself from COVID-19.