Nightmares are often a horrible experience. We all get them from time to time, from the very young to the old. They are often quite similar; running and not getting anywhere, screaming and no sound from our mouths, falling, crashing, missing an exam or important event, or losing all our teeth. Not to mention that old stand by of showing up somewhere...naked.
There are ways, however, to lessen our chances of having an nightmare. Nightmares happen during our REM sleep and we often remember them. Nightmares tend to occur towards dawn, rather than early in sleep.
We need to monitor our caffeine and alcohol usage. Coffee is a stimulant that can cause sleep deprivation, which in turn can cause nightmares that result from stress-induced fatigue. Chocolate is also a culprit for some. Alcohol is initially a stimulant but is actually a depressant. Drinking heavily may send a person to sleep quickly but it often causes them to wake up in the middle of the night and be unable to fall back to sleep. But the chemicals in alcohol can trigger nightmares. In fact, we should always avoid food or drink before bedtime because it triggers our metabolism and increases brain activity at a time when we should be decreasing it. Spicy foods late at night should be avoided, as well as sugary foods for children.
Smokers and those with sleep apnea tend to experience nightmares more than others.
Stress and emotional trauma are the main triggers for adults. Problems with work or relationships, an illness (which in itself can cause nightmares) or past abuse can lead to occasional nightmares for a lifetime. Therapy, meditation, yoga, a healthy diet, and a restful couple of hours before sleeping will help.
Establish a routine before bed. A warm bath, some easy reading, sex or your favorite show (that is hopefully not too violent!) will ease you into a relaxed routine for bed. No more than one glass of wine in the evening is recommended.
Some things we cannot help are nightmares when we are ill. Fevers tend to promote nightmares, in children as much as adults, and they leave once we feel better.
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Do you get nightmares? Are they frequent? What do you think triggers them?
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Hi
October 10, 2015 - 2:34amI have been having flu with a fever for the last few days. An old Jamaican recipes is take rum honey and Leon in hot water and drink. I feel tipsy and drop asleep very quickly. But I've noticed I have had nightmares which I never had from screaming and dreaming my car has been petrol bombed. I know it's this remedy but has really frighten me. I'm keeping off and going onto Beecham. I still have my fever so off to gp on Monday if no improvement .
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Hello sarah tonight i was woken up by my nightmare (though it sounds quite odd) and i was wondering if it had or has a meaning it was of a man with a bunny rabbit riding a deer around in my front yard quietly and i also think it was holding some sort of weakin do you know what couldve caused my dream?
February 6, 2015 - 10:49pmThis Comment
Hi Susan Cody
November 2, 2013 - 8:09pmAlthough German scientists Wilhelm Wundt thought that dreams were caused by stimulation of palpitations, abdominal distensions, urgent urinations and other objective things, he did not clearly indicate nightmares were caused by palpitations, and even did not give a satisfactory and convincing explanation to the reasons for nightmares. In addition, he did not have any mysterious insights, unlike the Freud's mysterious theory of dream without scientific basis as well as Freud's popularity due to capturing people's curiosities, his correct opinions failed to receive wide attention. A paper published in Chinese Scientists 1996 proposed that nightmares were caused by palpitations, and the two most common nightmares were caused by the two most common reasons of palpitations. After giving satisfactory explanations to nightmares, someone from another country also published papers online in 2002,and proposed that nightmares were caused by palpitations( http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-145666.html). However, he also did not give any further satisfactory explanation, so his correct opinions also failed to receive wide attention.
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Hi. My nightmares are really disturbing. They usually include a mutilated face, screaming, whispers, voices and a broken notebox playing. I have no idea whats going on and I end up scaring myself so much I don't want to go back to sleep. Help?
October 18, 2013 - 9:00pmThis Comment
When palpitations occurs, people will have two main feelings: one is tachycardia cause a feeling of seeming to be pursuing ; the other is bradycardia or premature beat cause the feeling of heart suspension or heart sinking. Therefore, people in sleep accordingly will have the two nightmares of being pursued (occasionally hunting other people) and flying in the air, and falling down.
February 14, 2013 - 7:11amThis Comment
For a long time, due to the ignorance of physiological knowledge of lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting, heart palpitations, and so on,, psychological illusion in people’s sleep generated by such physical symptoms i.e the nightmares , flying dream and falling dream really has puzzled the psychologists, One without flying experience in the daytime would dream of flying; One without falling experience in the daytime would dream of falling; one without terrible experience in the daytime would have terrible nightmares. Such examples are the major evidence for Freud and other oneiromancy masters to prove the causes of dreams are very complex and that dreams have special meaning. They are also the major cause why countless people believe various ridiculous oneiromancy theories with mysterious color put forward by Freud and other oneiromancy masters. But, the latest researches of Chinese scientists show these dreams are of no any special meaning and the causes of dreams are very simple, viz. they are the reactions of the objective things in the minds. As Germany’s well-known psychologist William Wundt’s view of “the most common causes of the dream are indigestion, heart pulsation(palpitations or flustered),difficulity in breathing, aswell as such symptoms.” For instance, students dreaming the examination before the pre-examination, is caused by the things about examination. The sense of urgent urination would give rise to the dream of looking for the toilet. In a cold night, thin quilt would cause one to dream the clothes are socked by water and thus make him/her feel cold. Similarly, the nightmares are mainly caused by several palpitation feelings such as the heart hanging in the air, heart dropping and seemingly being chased. The flying dream arises from the palpitation feeling that the heart hangs in the air; the falling dream arises from the palpitation feeling that the heart drops; the nightmare of being chased or running arises from fast heartbeat.
February 14, 2013 - 2:56amThis Comment
For example women have a huge amount of nightmares during pregnancy because women experience more palpitations in pregnancy. Physical factors that contribute to bad dreams include fever as also sleep because fever causes an increase in the heart rate.
February 14, 2013 - 2:34amThis Comment
All nightmares are caused by palpitations. Persons who palpitation is easy to occur are easy to have nightmare, females are easier to have nightmare than males, because palpitation is easier occur to females than to males.
February 14, 2013 - 2:20amThis Comment
Im only a kid but i get nightmares when i watch scary movies and i hate horror which makes me worry and makes me stressed and sick and gives me nightmares
February 8, 2013 - 2:35amThis Comment
Hey, I'm 17 & It seems that every time I have a drink (Of alcohol) I am Waken up from a horrible dream, terrified . I am always being chases & cut , & often have my loved one's killed in front of me. These dreams really affect me , But is this actually the alcohol to blame or something else ?
January 9, 2013 - 7:52amThis Comment