Thirty years ago, I went camping in northern Arizona. The first night, through the open tent flap, I saw a man 20 yards away in the forest, rushing towards the tent through the trees. A butcher knife flickered in his hand.
My heart pounded. The man came closer and closer as I lay frozen in terror. I finally starting screaming and woke myself up.
I woke in the same tent, in the same forest, having just had a nightmare so frightening I would remember it clearly 30 years later.
Nightmares are defined as “disturbing mental experiences that tend to occur during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and that often result in awakenings from sleep.”(1) You are fast asleep, and terror takes over.
Sometime people experience nightmares as recurring dreams — dreams of similar content that occur repeatedly. Like dreams of low-flying planes that eventually crash. Over and over.
Characteristics of Nightmares(1)
- Dream sequences that seem real and increasingly terrible.
- Dreams accompanied by negative emotions: anxiety, fear, terror, anger, rage embarrassment or disgust.
- Dreams containing a threat of Imminent danger.
- If following a traumatic experience, a dream may contain realistic details and the feeling of reliving the event.
Risk Factors for Creepadelic Dreams
Certain circumstances and health conditions are conducive to troubled sleep.
- Grief(3)
- PTSD
- Insomnia
- Exhaustion
- Anxiety and depression
- Pregnancy and postpartum issues(4)
- Late-night snacks(2)
- Sleep disorders such as restless leg syndrome or sleep apnea(2)
- Medications such as antidepressants, narcotics and statins for high blood pressure(5)
How to Protect Your Sleep from Slashers, Plane Crashes and Spider Attacks
1) Practice good sleep hygiene.
Healthy bedtime practices that prevent insomnia also serve to reduce the occurrence of nightmares. Keep a regular bedtime, give phones and laptops an early curfew, and keep your room cool.
Avoid late night snacking, which triggers metabolism and activates the brain.(5)
2) Seek cognitive therapy.
Are you the quiet type, who avoids difficult conversations and doesn’t like to rock the boat? Unresolved conflict will make its way into your dreams.
Working through trauma such as combat, sexual assault or physical abuse can help reduce nightmares. Unresolved childhood trauma and its resulting insecurities can crop up as nightmares in an otherwise happy adult life.(2)
Nightmares after giving birth are sometimes associated with normal “maternal vigilance”(4), an instinct to protect the new baby, and will dissipate as mothering becomes routine. Continuing nightmares could be a sign of postpartum depression.
Grief and loss, especially a sudden or traumatic loss, can cause nightmares. Seek counseling or support groups to help work through loss. Consider hospice, which often offers free grief counseling to survivors.
3) Seek the care of a physician.
Seek treatment for sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome.
If all else fails, your doctor may choose to prescribe a sleeping pill to reduce nightmares and restore sleep.(1)
Sleep well, dear reader.
Reviewed March 4, 2016
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith