How to get rid of a bad dream
8 Ways to Stop Nightmares — How to Get Rid of Nightmares
Have you ever been jolted awake, seemingly out of nowhere? Perhaps you’re sweating or your heart races as you remember, or strive to recall, a distressing dream that felt oh so real? If so, you’ve experienced nightmares. “Nightmares are unsettling dreams usually associated with feelings of anxiety or fear that awakens you from sleep and sometimes include abnormal movements, behaviors, emotions, or perceptions. They can occur while you’re asleep, falling asleep, or even waking up,” says Raj Dasgupta, M.D., sleep expert and assistant professor of clinical medicine at Keck School of Medicine of USC. Nightmares are most common in children but can happen at any age, and the occasional one is usually nothing to worry about — but if they happen frequently and your daytime functioning is disrupted due to lack of sleep, it’s important to try to find a fix, says Dr. Dasgupta. Try these tips to stop nightmares, so you can snooze sounder at night.
Find your zen.
One common nightmare trigger is stress. “They sometimes result from us trying to solve problems in our sleep — this is the brain’s rehearsal system at work in the night, so too much daytime stress can lead to nightmares when you go to bed,” says Alex Dimitriu, M.D., founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California. Find activities that keep you calm and make them a regular part of your daily routine. Try things like meditation, yoga, walking or other exercise, a hot bath before bed, or scheduling a few minutes of quiet “me time” where you wind down from the day.
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Have a bedtime snack.
If your blood sugar drops too low while you’re sleeping, that can cause a nightmare, says Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., integrative medical expert and author. How can you tell if nighttime “hanger” is to blame for your bad dreams? One good clue is if you feel “hangry” during the day.
“There is a simple treatment for this: eat 1-2 ounces of protein before bed for a few nights; think things like two hard-boiled eggs or a bit of meat, fish, or cheese, and avoid carbohydrates, which may make things worse,” says Dr. Teitelbaum.
Stick to a sleep schedule.
Maintaining a regular sleep schedule seven days a week (yes, weekends, too!) is key to getting enough shuteye, and in turn, staving off nightmares. “Sleep deprivation and insomnia has been associated with increased risk of nightmares, so stick to a regular sleeping pattern as much as possible,” says Dr. Dasgupta. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day and aim to get seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Finding a routine that works—putting away electronic devices 30 minutes before bed, or reading a few chapters of your book—can help make drifting off to sleep easier.
Nix the nightcap.
Alcohol might make you sleepy, but it (and other substances like drugs) can actually lead to nightmares, says Dr.
Dasgupta. Avoid sipping wine, beer, liquor, and other spirits close to bedtime and instead rely on other tricks, like a soothing cup of hot tea or 10-minute meditation, to quiet your mind.
Examine your medicine cabinet.
Depression and anxiety can be a nightmare trigger, but so can some of the drugs often prescribed to treat those conditions, such as SSRI (selective serotonin response inhibitors)—in fact, SSRI may actually intensify dreams, says Michael Breus, Ph.D., clinical psychologist, diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine, and Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Other drugs to treat blood pressure or help you sleep may also cause nighttime distress. Talk to your doctor about alternative medications or adjusting your dose to see if that helps.
Try rewriting your nightmares.
We can’t always remember our bad dreams, even if we emotionally or physically react to them — but if you can recall what you dreamt about, image-rehearsal therapy may help reduce nightmares the next time you sleep, says Dr.
Breus. Recast your nightmare into a happier, more peaceful script. For example, if you were running down a dark path as a threat got closer and closer, perhaps your new scenario features you walking down a quiet wooded path with your loyal dog trotting along behind you.
Schedule “worry time.”
By now you know that stress, anxiety, and depression can trigger nightmares. One trick that may help you keep a handle on them is to carve out time to feel and experience those negative thoughts and emotions — that way you don’t bring them with you into bed. “Journal or problem solve for 20-30 minutes hours before bedtime to get it all out ahead of time so it doesn’t happen at night,” says Dr. Dimitriu.
Avoid scary things.
This might seem obvious, but watching a frightening movie or reading a scary book can lead to nightmares, so consider taking a break or hitting pause to see if they stop. "This sounds silly but it's not! I know I watched 'The Invisible Man' a couple of weeks ago and definitely had a nightmare that night!" says Dr.
Dasgupta.
Alyssa JungSenior Editor
Alyssa is a senior editor for the Hearst Health Newsroom, where she has written research-backed health content for Prevention, Good Housekeeping and Woman's Day since 2017. She has more than 13 years of reporting and editing experience and previously worked as research chief at Reader’s Digest, where she was responsible for the website's health vertical as well as editing health content for the print magazine. She has also written for Chowhound, HealthiNation.com, Huffington Post and more.
Adult Nightmares: Causes and Treatments
Written by Hilary Parker
In this Article
- What Are Nightmares?
- What Causes Nightmares in Adults?
- What Are the Health Effects of Nightmares in Adults?
- Treatments for Nightmares in Adults
When you wake up terrified from a disturbing nightmare, you might think you're the only adult who has them. After all, aren't adults supposed to outgrow nightmares?
While it's true nightmares are more common among children, one out of every two adults has nightmares on occasion.
And between 2% and 8% of the adult population is plagued by nightmares.
Are your nightmares causing you significant distress? Are they interrupting your sleep on a regular basis? If so, it's important to determine what's causing your adult nightmares. Then you can make changes to reduce their occurrence.
What Are Nightmares?
Nightmares are vividly realistic, disturbing dreams that rattle you awake from a deep sleep. They often set your heart pounding from fear. Nightmares tend to occur most often during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, when most dreaming takes place. Because periods of REM sleep become progressively longer as the night progresses, you may find you experience nightmares most often in the early morning hours.
The subjects of nightmares vary from person to person. There are, though, some common nightmares that many people experience. For example, a lot of adults have nightmares about not being able to run fast enough to escape danger or about falling from a great height.
If you've gone through a traumatic event, such as an attack or accident, you may have recurrent nightmares about your experience.
Although nightmares and night terrors both cause people to awake in great fear, they are different. Night terrors typically occur in the first few hours after falling asleep. They are experienced as feelings, not dreams, so people do not recall why they are terrified upon awakening.
What Causes Nightmares in Adults?
Nightmares in adults are often spontaneous. But they can also be caused by a variety of factors and underlying disorders.
Some people have nightmares after having a late-night snack, which can increase metabolism and signal the brain to be more active. A number of medications also are known to contribute to nightmare frequency. Drugs that act on chemicals in the brain, such as antidepressants and narcotics, are often associated with nightmares. Non-psychological medications, including some blood pressure medications, can also cause nightmares in adults.
Withdrawal from medications and substances, including alcohol and tranquilizers, may trigger nightmares. If you notice a difference in your nightmare frequency after a change in medication, talk with your doctor.
Sleep deprivation may contribute to adult nightmares, which themselves often cause people to lose additional sleep. Though it's possible, it has not been confirmed whether this cycle could lead to nightmare disorder.
There can be a number of psychological triggers that cause nightmares in adults. For example, anxiety and depression can cause adult nightmares. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also commonly causes people to experience chronic, recurrent nightmares.
Nightmares in adults can be caused by certain sleep disorders. These include sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome. If no other cause can be determined, chronic nightmares may be a distinct sleep disorder. People who have relatives with nightmare disorder may be more likely to have the condition themselves.
What Are the Health Effects of Nightmares in Adults?
Nightmares become much more than bad dreams when they have a significant effect on your health and well-being. Among people who experience nightmares, those who are anxious or depressed are more likely to be distressed about the experience and suffer even more psychological ill effects. Although the relationship is not understood, nightmares have been associated with suicide. Because nightmares may have a significant impact on your quality of life, it's important to consult a medical professional if you experience them regularly.
Sleep deprivation, which can be caused by nightmares, can cause a host of medical conditions, including heart disease, depression, and obesity.
If nightmares in adults are a symptom of untreated sleep apnea or post-traumatic stress disorder, the underlying disorders can also have significant negative effects on physical and mental health.
Treatments for Nightmares in Adults
Fortunately, there are steps you and your doctor can take to lessen the frequency of your nightmares and the effect they are having on your life.
First, if your nightmares are the result of a particular medication, you may be able to change your dosage or prescription to eliminate this unwanted side effect.
For people whose nightmares are caused by conditions such as sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome, treating the underlying disorder may help alleviate symptoms.
If your nightmares aren't illness- or medication-related, don't despair. Behavioral changes have proven effective for 70% of adults who suffer from nightmares, including those caused by anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
Imagery rehearsal treatment is a promising cognitive behavioral therapy for recurrent nightmares and nightmares caused by PTSD. The technique helps chronic sufferers change their nightmares by rehearsing how they would like them to transpire. In some cases, medications may be used in conjunction with therapy to treat PTSD-related nightmares, though their efficacy has not been demonstrated as clearly as that of imagery rehearsal treatment.
There are a number of other steps you can take on your own that may help reduce your nightmare frequency. Keeping a regular wake-sleep schedule is important. So is engaging in regular exercise, which will help alleviate nightmare-causing anxiety and stress. You may find that yoga and meditation are also helpful.
Remember to practice good sleep hygiene, which will help prevent the sleep deprivation that can bring on nightmares in adults. Make your bedroom a relaxing, tranquil place that is reserved for sleep and sex, so that you don't associate it with stressful activities. Also, be cautious about the use of alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine, which can remain in your system for more than 12 hours and often disrupt sleep patterns.
Good night: how to protect yourself from bad dreams
Psychology
What could be more unpleasant than a sleep disorder when you wake up ten times a night and end up feeling ninety years old in the morning. Fragmentary dreams add bags under the eyes - strange, inexplicable or even scary.
What is the reason for disturbing or nightmare dreams?
WHY DANGEROUS BAD DREAMS
For example, I don't have nightmares very often, but when they do, it's terribly annoying. I can’t stand uncontrollable situations, and then some sudden bad dream can really excite me and emotionally exhaust me for the whole morning, and sometimes for the whole day - even if what I dreamed has nothing to do with reality.
Of course, the bad habit of dwelling on what I think of myself adds fuel to the fire, but according to Alice Robb, author of Why We Dream: The Transformative Power of Our Night Journey (Why We Dream: The Transformative Power of Our Nightly Journey), the emotional or physical effect after traumatic dreams is an objective pattern. “The emotions and stress experienced in a dream can have very real consequences,” she says. “There have even been a few cases where nightmares have contributed to heart attacks.” Great news.
WHAT CAN HELP WITH NIGHTMARES
Fortunately, there are strategies people can use to reduce the frequency of nightmares and the harm they cause.
In the long run, Robb suggests learning how to lucid dream, or at least practicing the techniques from time to time. A lucid dream is a kind of borderline state between REM sleep and wakefulness, in which a person is aware that he is dreaming and can control its content to some extent. It sounds like it’s unlikely to get enough sleep, but it promises getting rid of nightmares.
Research states that lucid dreams usually occur when we wake up from a deep sleep and then go back to sleep. Alice Robb advises this approach to capture the format you're looking for: “Set two alarms at least half an hour apart to get back to sleep and dream; perhaps the stage of awareness will be easier to catch if you increase the time period to two hours. The second, more "advanced" sentence is borrowed from the 2010 film Inception. Remember Leonardo DiCaprio's character (and his other fellow dream travelers) had a top totem he touched to tell the dream from reality? Robb explains, “Try getting yourself into Inception movie-style 'reality tests' while you're awake, like counting fingers on your hand, reading and rereading words on a page, or turning lights off and on.
If you think about doing the same tasks when you sleep, you will most likely notice that your hand looks unusual, words jump across the page or light switches do not work - which means that this is a dream, not reality, and there is nothing to be afraid of. .
“If you learn to be lucid in a dream, you will be able to interrupt the nightmare or drive away the dreaming enemies,” says Robb, citing a 2006 experiment conducted by psychologists at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, in which researchers asked a group of participants to independently master the techniques lucid dreaming, another group was taught the technique of lucid dreaming, and the third was left without therapy. “Group 1 and 2 saw fewer nightmares as a result—nearly twice as much—which means significant progress for people affected by this nuisance,” Robb writes. “Moreover, the improvement did not depend on the ability to have lucid dreams, but rather on the desire to comprehend them. A few respondents who had no way of dreaming in lucid mode also showed improvement in their performance.
”
WHAT ELSE TERRIBLE DREAMS ARE AFRAID
In fact, for many of us, such dreams are available even without training, but it doesn’t happen once in a while. Sometimes we can really say to ourselves: “Stop, honey, this is just a dream!” And sometimes you still have to wake up in horror and a cold sweat. Also, with certain nightmares—those that come as a result of tragic circumstances or real trauma—the spontaneous awareness option doesn't work either.
In these cases, Robb offers two more (informal) methods.
1. Write down your nightmares
“I believe it's worth writing down the contents of a nightmare you see,” says Robb. - And without putting it off indefinitely. The memory of the dream is still fresh when you wake up, and it's good to keep as many details about it as possible, and not a vague feeling of "what the hell happened last night, so ruining my mood?" Dream diaries are often recommended by psychologists as a means to develop intuition, but they can also be more utilitarian.
In particular, a diary for “preservation” of memory will help if you cannot recover for a long time after a nightmare - returning to the description, you will remember why. In addition, by putting the dream on paper rather than leaving it in your head, you are more likely to sort out the feelings it brought.
2. Talk about your nightmares
If the dream recording is not about you at all (or as an addition to the recordings), it is useful to talk about scary dreams with a loved one. “Frank conversation will help to reduce the emotional impact of frightening dreams,” explains Robb, “and, in addition, provide friends and loved ones with an opportunity to express their feelings. And, as we remember from childhood, a nightmare is an unconditional reason to accept the support of those who love you.
Smirnova Natasha
Tags
- Psychology
- Mysticism
ways and means, useful tips
Nightmares most often haunt children from six to ten years old.
Most of them, as they grow older, no longer remember what bothered them in childhood. Often suffer from unpleasant dreams and adults. According to statistics, every twentieth person has terrible dreams.
Few people know that there is even a medical disease "night terror", which often accompanies sleepwalking. With night fear, a person experiences an overwhelming feeling of horror, which is not accompanied by any dreams. An unpleasant dream is remembered, but does not wake up. From a nightmare, a person wakes up in alarm and cannot fall asleep for a while.
Why do you have nightmares
Modern science tends to believe that having bad dreams is sometimes useful, as it is a product of the brain that helps fight stress. Dreams can distract from everyday experiences, defuse consciousness and lead to psychological stress. Nightmares in some cases may indicate a real problem that a person simply does not notice.
But if nightmares become a constant occurrence, then there is no need to talk about any positive attitude, good rest and vitality.
A German medical study found that adults often have nightmares about falling into the void, being chased, or being late.
Children often have bad dreams because they have a low threshold of sensitivity. The reasons may be quarrels with peers or parents, lack of friends, bad relationships with children in kindergarten or school. Night terrors can also cause physical punishment used by parents or other relatives.
Stress and nightmares
Scientists believe that stress and nightmares are closely related. The subconscious in a state of stress cannot switch to rest and continues to look for a way out of a difficult situation even during sleep. Strong emotional upheavals can cause nightmares. Post-traumatic stress disorder is common among people who have been in a war zone. In particularly impressionable individuals, it occurs after watching horror films.
Emotional or physical fatigue can cause bad dreams at night. If a person mentally returns to some problem.
The risk group includes the military, employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and law enforcement agencies. The work of these people is nervous, which can affect the quality of sleep. In severe cases, it is necessary to consult a doctor for the appointment of medications that will help you get enough sleep and feel rested.
Diseases that interfere with sleep
In addition to psychological problems, nightmares can indicate physical illnesses. For example, often bad dreams are dreamed of with a temperature or migraine. Sometimes nightmares speak of serious diseases, for example, oncology. The causes of unpleasant dreams can even be impaired breathing and snoring. People often complain about the poor quality of sleep during a cold or during pregnancy. In the latter case, a woman may experience both physical inconvenience (a grown belly may interfere) and psychological discomfort (worry about the baby).
Overeating at night
Banal overeating at night can become the cause of terrible dreams.
Eating before going to bed leads to difficulties in the work of many organs, and as a result, a person gets overexcited and has bad dreams. Creative people often see nightmares. Pathogens, that is, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine, can provoke negative dreams. Instead of rest, the body will have to remove toxic substances. Often, nightmares are provoked by various medications.
How to make sleep comfortable
How to get rid of bad dreams and thoughts? A banal improvement in the atmosphere in the bedroom will help normalize sleep. For comfortable sleep, a cool temperature, the absence of unpleasant sounds and unnecessary noises, smells (the smell of tobacco smoke especially interferes with normal sleep). Complete darkness is required. "Blue" light from the screens of stationary or laptop computers, TVs or tablets interferes with the production of a special sleep hormone. For the same reason, it is not recommended to use electronic devices a couple of hours before bedtime.
How to get rid of bad sleep? Good help to normalize sleep moderate exercise. It can be aerobics, swimming, dancing, fitness. But you need to train not right before bedtime, but during the day. Otherwise, the body will be very tense in order to sleep peacefully. Before going to bed, it is recommended to take a hot bath. A sharp temperature drop after water procedures will give the body a signal that it's time to rest. It is also not recommended to eat before bed. It is better to refuse food approximately two hours before going to bed.
Drug treatment
How to get rid of bad thoughts before going to bed? If the cause is chronic stress or depression, then you need to see a doctor for medical treatment. Often, patients with such symptoms are prescribed Prazosin. The drug is in demand in the complex therapy of patients with hypertension, but it is also successfully used to normalize sleep and relax the central nervous system. Other sedatives have also been successfully used.
For example, you can buy Novopassit or Glycine at the pharmacy. These drugs normalize sleep, increase stress resistance and positively affect the functioning of the heart.
How to get rid of a bad dream
What should I do if I had a bad dream? How to forget an unpleasant dream? How to get rid of an unpleasant dream? Many people are helped to get rid of the unpleasant sensation in the soul after a nightmare certain rituals. This is purely a psychological trick, but for some it works well if the nightmares are not too frequent. For example, waking up after a bad dream, you need to say one of the following phrases three times and cross yourself:
Resurrect a good dream, crack a bad one in half (or in half).
Whose dream comes true, but it does not concern me. The Lord is with me, a bad dream is not mine. Amen.
What I saw in a dream, I will not see in reality.
Until the incantation is pronounced, it is completely impossible to get out of bed and talk to anyone.
There is another way. Before washing, you need to say three times: "Where the night has gone, there is a dream." At the same time, you need to look at the rising sun or just to the east. There is advice to pronounce at dawn after waking up and such a matra:
I will put on a holy robe, I will stand on the domes. Just as a shadow does not drop its shadow, a hand does not eat a hand, it does not curse its tongue, so a bad dream passes, does not come true. Lord Jesus Christ, protect me! Amen! Amen! Amen!
It is not worth judging the effectiveness of conspiracies. Some such tricks help to forget a dream, others do not believe in the effectiveness of magic words. This is a personal matter for everyone.
How to get rid of bad sleep with salt? In the morning you need to fill a glass with water and throw some salt into it. In this case, you need to say the following:
As this salt melts, so my dream will disappear, it will not cause harm.
You can simply “tell a dream” to running water. And for those who often see nightmares, it is often recommended to leave an open container filled with consecrated water at the head of the bed at night. Water will absorb all negativity overnight. In the morning, water should be poured out. You can also neutralize bad sleep by turning the bedding inside out.
A few tips for believers
How to get rid of a bad dream so that it does not come true? Prayers can help believers. In such cases they pray to the Hieromartyr Cyprian and Saint Ustinia. If anxiety does not disappear, you can go to the temple and put two candles “On health (for yourself and enemies) at the icon of the Mother of God. Such an action can be taken not only in connection with unpleasant dreams, but also simply if failures pursue in life. How to get rid of bad sleep for Muslims? Islam advises the believer not to doubt that the dream is bad from the devil. For this reason, such a dream should not be given importance.
