Nightmares: those unpleasant things that make you wake up in the middle of the night, worried, maybe even trembling. But what makes them happen? And is there anything I can do to reduce the amount of nightmares he suffers from, ideally to zero?
We all dream, every night. In fact we usually have several dreams every night. But we remember few, if any, of these dreams.
Nightmares are a special type of dream: they are more vivid, and the subject matter is disturbing enough to pull us out of a deep sleep.
In general, dreams seem to be the way our mind organizes itself while we sleep. A bit like background processing that happens on a computer: your antivirus software only notices if there’s a problem. Nightmares in adults are a similar case.
These are some of the things that are commonly believed to cause them to arise.
sleep deprivation
If you’re already short on sleep, the last thing you want is to wake up scared in the middle of the night. But it is a common cause of nightmares.
Your body’s defense systems are already at a low ebb, so your dreams can take turns you’d rather not.
In the short term, you may need to take an overnight pill to get back to normal sleep. But that’s not a good option for more than a day or two.
Find ways to relax and unwind before going to sleep, adjust the room temperature, and keep your room as close to total darkness as possible.
Relaxation techniques like taking a warm bath before bed, meditating, or listening to a hypnosis track can also help.
Alcohol
Alcohol is a legal way to alter your status. Which, by definition, means that you’re not completely in your own normal mind.
Too much alcohol can stimulate the part of your mind that causes nightmares, even if it seems to everyone around you that you’ve passed out from too much drinking.
Do everything possible to reduce your alcohol intake. If you need a certain number of pints or glasses to satisfy you, gradually reduce the alcohol levels – they show up on the bottles and it’s not something you need to do often to switch brands or styles.
The ideal is to alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. You’ll find that over time you’ll need less alcohol and get the fastest (and cheapest!) buzz with less.
prescription drugs
Yes, drugs again.
Still the legal ones.
Most drugs have a variety of side effects: that complicated piece of paper printed in small font with light ink that you leave unread on the package or instinctively throw away.
Take a look at it and see if there are any symptoms that you have recently added.
There is a danger of being a hypochondriac, so don’t do this too often.
But if you have something you suspect is causing your nightmares, talk to your doctor and get an alternative prescription instead.