Sexy shuteye: Decode your sex dreams

A good sex dream can leave you feeling like you've barely had any rest at all, but it doesn't mean you necessarily want to jump in bed with that person in real life says Ian Wallace, a dream psychologist and author of the best-selling dream book, The Top 100 Dreams: The Dreams That We All Have and What They Really Mean. According to Dr. Wallace, sex dreams are really just your subconscious asking you, "what part of my life needs more excitement right now?"—like a sexual Magic 8 Ball! We asked him to break down the 10 most common sex dreams to help us understand where a wake-up call may be in order.

Feel like you've been nailing it at work and at home recently? "Sex with a powerful figure shows that you are becoming more intimately aware of your own power and ability to choose what you want to do in life."

These dreams can leave you feeling like you just let your hubby down, but chances are it's less about him than you. "An ex-lover usually symbolizes the quality that you most powerfully associate with them. If your ex was unreliable or untruthful, then you are letting yourself down in waking life by relying too much on others and not facing up to the truth about something," says Dr. Wallace. Basically your subconscious mind is telling you to let go of behaviors that no longer serve you and to not repeat past relationship mistakes.

Sex with someone who has always been in the friend zone doesn't necessarily mean your opinion of him is changing. Dr. Wallace clarifies, "A friend or colleague tends to reveal a talent that you admire and would like to possess yourself. A work colleague often suggests that you realize that you will need to work at developing this talent and it may involve some dedication."

These dreams can be confusing if in your waking life you don't feel attracted to that type of person. This sort of dream typically indicates that you are becoming more tolerant of different behaviors and beliefs—such as your boss' political position or your babysitter's relaxed attitude. Dr. Wallace adds, "A same-sex partner often suggests that you are becoming more comfortable and connected with your own body image and feel secure in your own femininity or masculinity."

Ahh, who doesn't like a good old-fashioned dream about sleeping with a celeb? (It's okay, we won't tell!) "The celebrity reflects a unique talent that you have and are beginning to recognize in your own waking life," says Dr. Wallace. Or, are you feeling overlooked at work or underappreciated by your husband? Another interpretation of this dream is that you want to have your talents publicly recognized and accepted by a wider audience.

It can feel awkward when you all of a sudden have a crush on someone in your dream, and you wake up next to your husband. Don't worry—this doesn't mean your relationship is in a rocky place. "The object of your affections is reflecting a deeply attractive quality that you desire to embody yourself, but might feel a little unattainable," Dr. Wallace explains.

Has cooking dinner and doing laundry lost a little bit of allure lately? Has a Pinterest board gone wild morphed into a latent talent for decorating? "A stranger usually represents some characteristic of your own self that seems strange and unexplored to you." Even spookier, is he wearing a mask? "This indicates that you are concealing a natural talent that you feel shy about openly expressing to others in waking life," says Dr. Wallace. Or maybe it's just that midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises.

"Dreaming that your partner is being unfaithful is usually triggered when you begin to lose faith in your own sexiness and attractiveness." There are always going to be times when you're not feeling your sexiest self, like during that time of the month or when work hits a stressful skid. Thankfully, these dreams aren't necessarily telling you to watch out for your husband -- but for yourself.

Yes, it might seem strange, but Dr. Wallace says android dreams are actually pretty common for women, especially those who have young families and are still pursuing a full-time career. "Sex with a robot or machine suggests that you are involved in a situation in waking life where you are just going through the motions," says Dr. Wallace. A robot sex dream can also mean that you aren't acknowledging the imperfect or unreliable qualities of your friends and colleagues who are trying to support your creative pursuits.