Beyoncé employs slinky vocals to sing the lyrics, which describe a romantic relationship that the female protagonist believes could be a dream.

"Sweet Dreams" was recognized as one of the most performed songs of 2009 at the 27th American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Pop Music Awards.

Initially titled "Beautiful Nightmare", "Sweet Dreams" became one of the first songs composed for Beyoncé Knowles' 2008 double album I Am... Sasha Fierce.

[2] When Knowles went to the South Beat Studios in Miami Beach, Florida,[3] she was not prepared to record and had to attend the opening concert of her husband Jay-Z's tour.

[9] Arielle Castillo of the Miami New Times noted that Jackson could use the beat of "Sweet Dreams" to bring up to date his Thriller-era style.

[16] The song starts with a bassline, which is occasionally interrupted by spare snare kicks, drum fills and Knowles' chanting, "Turn the lights on".

[2] She responded to the leak on her official website, thanking her fans for the positive response towards the song, before clarifying that it was just a work in progress and that she did not intend to release new material in the near future.

James Montgomery of MTV News wrote that Knowles' vocals, which he called, "icy and cool, slippery like mercury [and] nothing to scoff at either", help make the song an "undeniable smash" that is unique compared to the work of other artists.

[1] Jennifer Vineyard of the same publication argued that the rock elements and smooth vocals contribute to Knowles' "fierce" alter ego, who "dares the listener to dream of her, warning that it might be a 'beautiful nightmare'.

[29] Adam Mazmanian of The Washington Times described the song as "a gritty slow grind with a salacious bassline" and noted that Knowles "delivers a near parody of a good-girl voice" while singing the chorus.

[30] Echoing Dombal's sentiments, Nick Levine of Digital Spy wrote that the best song on the Sasha Fierce disc is a "dark[ish] electropop track called 'Sweet Dreams', [which] actually sounds like the cousin of Rihanna's 'Disturbia'".

[31] On a separate review for the single, Levine awarded "Sweet Dreams" a rating of four stars out of five, and commented that the song seduces listeners with its catchy chorus hook, and thereafter keeps them intrigued by "placing a hint of darkness just beneath the shiny, synthy surface".

[11] Similarly, Vicki Lutas of BBC Music wrote that even though "Sweet Dreams" appears to lack something, it is undeniably a good song overall.

[16] Talia Kraines of the same publication wrote that "Sweet Dreams" is one of the standout tracks on the Sasha Fierce disc though she believed Knowles did not get as experimental as she did on her 2006 song "Ring the Alarm".

[44] "Sweet Dreams" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting sales of one million digital copies.

[51] The accompanying music video for "Sweet Dreams" was directed by Adria Petty,[52] whom Knowles chose because of her intelligence and beautiful visual references.

[22] The scene changes into a computer-generated sci-fi landscape where Knowles is inscribed with a circle and square in a similar fashion to Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man.

As the chorus begins to play for the third and final time, digital doubling and mirroring are used to create a collection of dance moves and multiple images of Knowles arching her back.

"[1] Olivia Smith of Daily News noted that in the video, Knowles references Jane Fonda in the movie Barbarella (1968), Tin Woodman and Pamela Anderson through the different costumes she wears.

[59] Vicki Lutas of the BBC did not appreciate the first 30 seconds of the video, writing that "the dark, horror-type music, the pumping heartbeat, the equally spooky lullaby, the screech of an electric guitar", gave her the impression that she was watching "some [19]80s magician, with a Knowles soundtrack".

[64] However, last minute changes were brought to her performance that night; wearing a leotard and a silver glove, Knowles sang a short drum-led remix of "Sweet Dreams" before switching to "Single Ladies", accompanied by two female backup dancers.

[65] Wearing a red Agent Provocateur corset, stockings and long satin gloves, Knowles sang "Sweet Dreams" at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2009 on November 5.

[66] Charly Wilder of Spin magazine commented that Knowles overshadowed American singer Katy Perry (host of the event) "with her mesmerizing, sexed-up rendition" of "Sweet Dreams".

[68] Knowles sang an acoustic and downtempo rendition of the song live during the concert residency I Am... Yours that was held at the Encore Theater in Las Vegas on August 2, 2009.

[79] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times commented that their version had a "disarmingly flat affect, delivering it as the ramble of a neurotic" when compared to the original.

[80] Likewise, Pitchfork's Ryan Dombal felt that their cover "obliterates the original's Hi-NRG pulse, turning it into something a lot moodier and creepier".

[81] On November 1, 2010, American professional basketball player, Shaquille O'Neal, dressed as his female alter ego Shaquita for Halloween, and gave a lip-synching performance of Knowles' "Sweet Dreams".

[84] On March 28, 2012, Jessica Sanchez, a contestant of the eleventh season of American Idol, covered "Sweet Dreams" performing a slow-tempo ballad version of the song accompanied at the beginning by harps.

'"[91] Amy Reiter of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Sanchez gave yet another perfectly calibrated performance with Beyoncé's 'Sweet Dreams,' balancing restraint and power.

[92] The Arizona Republic's Randy Cordova praised the performance, saying that the slow-tempo version allowed Sanchez "to really delve into the song's emotional core".