Nightmares are something that everyone experiences occasionally, and they are universally unpleasant whenever they occur. They often cause you to jolt awake, your heart pounding as you survey your surroundings and quickly try to ascertain what is real and what isn’t. Even when you realize it was only a dream, it can be hard to shake the frightening images and go back to sleep.
Nightmares are a type of sleep disruption that can impact our sleep quality and duration, leaving you tired in the morning—and with an unpleasant reminder of why that is. You don’t need to live in fear of nightmares, though; instead, implement some key strategies to help manage, and potentially prevent, bad dreams.
What Causes Nightmares?
Their occurrence may seem random, but the truth is that nightmares are generally anything but—there are often various factors in our subconscious and conscious minds that combine to produce nightmares when we go to sleep. In order to manage nightmares, it helps to know what these factors are.
Some things that can cause nightmares include:
- Eating too close to bedtime. Specifically, though, heavy or spicy meals have been shown to cause physical discomfort, which can disturb your sleep through vivid and potentially bad dreams.
- Stress and anxiety. It’s likely no surprise that stress and anxiety can make nightmares more frequent—the nightmares are simply an extension of the worries that plague your mind during the day.
- Watching or reading something scary. While it may be fun to indulge in a horror movie or book when the sky darkens, these storylines can linger in your subconscious until your brain crafts a nightmare that places you in the starring role.
- Alcohol, drugs, and caffeine. While alcohol and drugs may feel like they help you fall asleep, they can disrupt your sleep quality and cause intense and vivid nightmares.
- Traumatic experiences. Those who have been through a traumatic experience, even if it was years ago, may find that the trauma can make its way to their dreams. While unpleasant, it’s a normal reaction of your mind to try and process the trauma. Still, it can be distressing and may make it so that you try to avoid sleeping in order to put off getting sucked back into your traumatic experience.
- Sleep disorders. Sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome are two sleep disorders that can disrupt sleep and cause nightmares.
- Medications. Certain medications, such as certain blood pressure medicines, antidepressants, and beta blockers, can have nightmares as a possible side effect.
- Illness. Those who have a fever are more likely to have nightmares.
Ultimately, the things that can cause nightmares have one other thing in common: they disrupt your sleep. Thus, the way to manage your nightmares is by focusing on getting enough good, quality sleep and falling asleep in a relaxed state of mind.
Tips for Managing Nightmares
Nightmares are never pleasant, so try out these tips to promote a more relaxed night of sleep that is full of pleasant dreams—not those that leave your heart racing.
Optimize Your Sleep Environment
Restful sleep relies upon an optimal sleep environment, so keep three words in mind as you craft yours: dark, cool, and quiet. Hit all three, and you’ll be sleeping more peacefully before you know it.
Need some tips on how to make your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet? Use an eye mask or blackout curtains to block all light, even moonlight; turn down the thermostat, use a fan, or opt for airy pajamas (or none at all!) to stay cool; and use ear plugs or listen to white noise to block out noises that might otherwise interrupt your sleep.
Create A Bedtime Routine
Knowing that our bodies follow the same 24-hour cycle each day, it should come as no surprise that they like routines, especially when preparing for bed.
Having a pre-bed routine not only clues in your body that it’s time to sleep, but if you fill it with the right activities, it can also help you relax for bed. Try adding in a warm bath, reading, journaling, or meditating to sleep easier.
Manage Your Stress
Stress and anxiety are common culprits of nightmares, so anything you can do during the day to manage them will make a world of difference at night. In addition to talking to a therapist or counselor, you can also try stress management techniques such as deep breathing or mindfulness practices.
Avoid Electronics Before Bed
Screens emit blue light, which can be especially stimulating for your mind and may keep you up. On top of that, a more active mind may lend the way to more vivid and unpleasant dreams.
To reduce the likelihood of nightmares, say goodnight to electronics at least an hour before you go to bed. If you tend to play frightening games or watch scary movies, this can also give you some time to calm your mind and shake those images before jumping into bed.
Seek Professional help
While the above habits can help to calm you down before bed, some people may need more help in order to manage their nightmares. Professional assistance such as cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, or imagery rehearsal therapy can offer you the tools you need to reframe your thoughts, feelings, and reactions. With the help of a professional, you can also work through any potential trauma, reducing your likelihood of a nightmare and lessening your stress and anxiety because you now know how to handle the nightmare should it occur.
How To Help A Child With Nightmares
While nightmares can affect individuals of all ages, they can be more frequent in children, especially those who are school-age.
If your child has a nightmare, start by soothing them and reminding them that it was only a dream. Then, ask them to describe or draw what they saw so that you can talk about it with them—it may even offer some guidance on what is triggering their nightmares.
While nightmares are common in children to experience occasionally, if they are regular or cause significant distress, it may be helpful to talk to a pediatrician.
No matter the age of the person having nightmares, we all like to be reassured that we’re safe now, whether we’re saying it to a child or to ourselves. Then, reestablish your calming sleep environment so that the next time you drift off to sleep, only pleasant dreams awaits you.
