There’s a reason you woke up convinced you needed to quit your job, cut off an ex, or text someone you haven’t spoken to in years.

A Talker Research survey of 2,000 Americans found that one in four people say a dream or nightmare led to a major life change, like leaving a job or ending a relationship. Sixty-seven percent believe both good dreams and bad ones hold deeper significance, and 37% say a dream has come true in some form.

The average American has about 1.4 nightmares per month. Gen Z reports the highest frequency at 1.8 per month, while Baby Boomers average one. Men and women experience them at the same rate, but women are more likely to believe dreams hold meaning (72% vs. 61% of men) and more likely to have taken action because of one.

You May Be Focusing on the Wrong Things About Your Dreams

Dr. Michael Kane, Chief Medical Officer at Indiana Center for Recovery, says the reason dreams bleed into waking life comes down to how the brain processes them. “Your brain still processes the experience as real,” he said. “And that is why it sometimes spills over into our waking hours.”

He also says the most useful thing to take from a dream is its emotional core. The narrative details are largely beside the point.

“Nightmares or bad dreams can fill us with anxiety, while a dream where you are confident in facing an enemy can act as the first step to make a change in your life,” Kane said. “Whether this is stepping away from a toxic environment or confronting a challenge, it acts as a way to let you know that you can deal with the situation.”

His practical advice is to skip the play-by-play and focus on how the dream made you feel.

“Try to link the emotion you experienced during the dream to the emotions you are experiencing while you are awake,” he said. “If you find the situation where you experience these emotions, it can be a sign that you need to take action in that specific region of your life.”

Astrologer Christa Hamilton of Practical Astros adds that context and self-reflection are key before acting on anything. “If a dream haunts you long after you’ve woken up or if a dream continues to repeat, then that dream is worth considering on a deeper level,” she said.

Believe what you want about the subconscious. A quarter of Americans have already let it make decisions for them.