One of the most common dreams is also one of the most unsettling; it is your spouse or significant other cheating on you. Before we get any farther please know that this almost never indicates any actual indiscretion on your significant other’s part. So breathe a little easier and let me explain some common interpretations of the cheating dream.

Although actual cheating is not usually the case this dream can signify that you feel your partner is spending too much time away from you or involved in other pursuits. He or she could be working more, spending more time with friends, or just playing video games.

Dreaming of your husband or wife cheating could also be an indicator that for whatever reason, you are feeling a little unsteady in your relationship.  Because your dreams tend to mirror your subconscious thoughts; this common dream of infidelity can pop up when your relationship has started to become stagnant or if you have been arguing more. It is a reflection of one of our deeply rooted fears, our significant other cheating.

Of course, if there are other signs in your relationship that there may be actual cheating occurring, it is something that you need to address with your partner; however, when doing so bring up the concrete “real world” issues and leave out your dreams. This will keep the conversation focused on facts and not on the feelings that these dreams can invoke.

It is also good to look at how often these dreams disturb you, if they are a regular occurrence it is more likely due to a real issue in your relationship as opposed to the rare dream of your spouse’s infidelity. If you have a history of cheating in your relationship you may be more prone to these dreams and they can cause a greater degree of distress as they may bring up actual feelings and memories that you have had to deal with.

As I always advise, if your dreams are causing you actual distress in your waking life, discuss them with your partner. Just be very careful with these particular dreams that you don’t accuse them of something based on your sleep thoughts.