The Menstrual Cycle and Dreaming
From the Strange Man to Divine Lover, what do we know about Periods and Dreams?
From mysterious men and demon lovers, to nightmares and lustful dreams, the menstrual cycle may impact the content of our dreams and the quality of our sleep.
Sleep disturbances, including nightmares, are not uncommon in mood conditions, including premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
Major Depression and PTSD, which share diagnostic criteria with PMDD, also include sleep-related symptoms such as hypersomnia or insomnia.
Melatonin, a key hormone in the sleep cycle, is known to play a role in reproductive physiology, and some research suggests a disruption in circadian rhythms in women with PMDD during the luteal phase.
While there is more research needed in this area, and the interaction of dreams on mental health isn’t well understood, there are clues on how the menstrual cycle may be interacting with dream content and sleep states.
The Demon Lover and The Strange Man in Menstrual Dreams
Jungian Analyst, Marilyn Nagy wanted to learn more about the menstrual cycle and dreaming because of her own personal struggles with premenstrual depression:
“I became interested in studying menstruation many years ago when I was suffering from horrendous depressions which went on and on, every month before my period came.”
-Marilyn Nagy, Ph.D., is a Jungian analyst practicing in Palo Alto, California. A graduate of the C. G. Jung Institute in Zurich, she is presently a faculty member of the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology.
In the 1950s, when Nagy visited her doctor about premenstrual depression, the term premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, was just starting to circulate. The words premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) wouldn’t be coined until much later in 2013.
Even without the medical terminology to describe the phenomena, women like Marilyn Nagy learned from personal experience that the menstrual cycle can influence mood and consciousness.
In her essay, Menstruation and Shamanism, Nagy describes an image of a Strange Man in Shamanic legends from around the world, including Japanese, Indian, and Native American folklore.
“Ancient Assyrian texts refer not only to the lilith, the ghoulish feminine spirit who could possess a man, but also to the idlu lili who possessed a woman when she became niddah (or men-struous).”
-Marilyn Nagy, Ph.D
Integrating her work as a Jungian Analyst with personal experiences, Nagy began studying women’s dreams during different points in the menstrual cycle to see if there were any archetypal patterns.
Nagy conducted a small study of 500 dreams, and found a common theme of what she calls the Strange Man around the time of menstruation. The dream content seemed to correspond with Shamanic legends regarding menstruation.
“The attributes of the image, together with the affective qualities attached to it, may indicate the direction along which a change in consciousness is taking place.”
-Marilyn Nagy, Ph.D
Nagy was expecting dreams about the father, the mother, or a partner, but the Strange Man seemed a bit more mysterious in nature, and often presented as an intruder.
The man in the dreams wasn’t always feared, in fact, some of the dreams were pleasant and lustful in nature. Some described the man as a divine lover, while others reported the character as a demon lover who was scary or abusive.
It’s important to note that in Jungian Psychology, archetypes are symbolic of the psyche, rather than literal interpretations.
Pro Tip: Archetypes play out in dreams, as well as the psychedelic experience, and are believed to be symbolic representations of the psyche.
For dreams, as well as trips, if you come in contact with an archetypal figure like the Strange Man, consider researching and analyzing it to overcome any fears. Scary archetypes tend to fade away when underlying, psychological fears are resolved.
Sleep and Mental Health
Whether it’s nightmares, insomnia or hypersomnia, sleep disturbances can exacerbate mental health symptoms like depression and anxiety.
If there are sleep issues related to nightmares or recurring dreams, it’s worth it to address this in therapy or meditation to improve the quality of sleep and mental health.
In line with mental health symptoms in general, both insomnia and hypersomnia affect women of reproductive age more often than men. One study found that women are 1.5 to 2 times as likely to suffer from insomnia.
The gender disparity in sleep quality appears to fade in older adults, so this phenomena could indicate alterations of sleep quality related to the menstrual cycle, which would ease after menopause.
It is often hypothesized that a rise in body temperature during the luteal phase may play a part in poor sleep quality, so we may benefit from cooling the room before going to bed, or using cooling sheets or blankets.
If we’re really hardcore, ice baths or cold plunges during luteal may help us cool down our bodies and our minds, and empower us to get a better night’s sleep.
What are your thoughts on the menstrual cycle, sleep and dreaming? Do your dreams or sleep patterns tend to change throughout the cycle?