Dr Di Stow, the President of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, said it was an "interesting phenomenon" that people were reporting more sleep problems, disturbances, and dreams since COVID-19 and the lockdown.

"Many people - my clients, family and friends, and people across social media - have been paying attention to their dreams so much more during this global coronavirus crisis; and wondering about having bizarre and memorable dreams," Dr Stow said.

"Some people who claimed to never remember their dreams said they were recalling them for the first time.

"This is not an unprecedented event as studies have shown that 9/11 changed the way people dreamed for a time, their dreams becoming more intense and memorable after the attacks.

"It is feasible that the coronavirus pandemic, is having a similar impact."

Dr Stow said research showed that increased anxiety during the day can lead to more negative content in dreams.

"This is something several people have reported when I have spoken with them about their COVID-19-related dreams," she said.

"They described dreams about dead bodies, watching friends or themselves attacked or killed, and other terrifying, surreal events that felt disturbingly real.

"More people with anxiety and sleep problems are seeking support and assistance through counselling, and on a positive note there are strategies that help.

"It can be difficult to adopt positive, productive habits during these stressful times. Trying our best to still maintain good sleep hygiene can help ensure a good night's sleep."

Dr Stow said recent dream research conducted at Harvard Medical School seemed to confirm that the incidence of vivid dreams had increased as the virus had spread around the world.

"There are other studies being undertaken around the world and Australia will likely follow suit with such research," she said.

"In the United Kingdom a group of psychoanalysis students are researching dreams in the wake of the pandemic."

Dr Stow said working out how and why events such as 9/11 and the pandemic affected dreams was difficult.

"There is a lot of interest in dreams, but dreaming is still fairly poorly understood by science," she said.

"Some studies show that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the sleep stage in which we have the most vivid dreams, is crucial for our health and well-being, contributing to emotional regulation and learning.

"But the complex interactions between the events in our daily lives and our dreams is still not entirely understood."

It was clear that the current coronavirus crisis had led to a great deal of stress and anxiety for many millions of people.

Dr Stow said healthy sleep habits included signing off from screens two to four hours before bed and trying to go to bed and go to sleep at the same time each night.

"Turning off the news for a little while before bed can also help cut back on the anxiety that may present as stressful dreams," she said.