100% Secure delivery without contacting the courier
admin@onlinesleepaid.com
100% Secure delivery without contacting the courier
admin@onlinesleepaid.com
Nightmares are not just for children. Many adults also experience it. These are mainly scary dreams that wake you up and also affect your mood during the day. It continues even after you wake up. They can be sporadic sometimes. Sometimes they occur repeatedly and leave you disturbed. It also makes you anxious and makes sleeping difficult. You can ignore them but frequent nightmares can be a sign of something more serious. Knowing the underlying causes is key. So that you can learn to deal with them is the secret.
Not all bad dreams can be called nightmares. Although they seem similar, they are not. A nightmare wakes you up from sleep after a terrifying dream. It usually includes fear, threat, or panic. After waking up you may be disoriented and sweaty. Also, you can feel heart palpitations. Bad dreams are unpleasant or strange but won't wake you up.
Nightmares are more vivid. They replay the disaster or your worst fears. Most occur during REM sleep. This sleep is associated with memory and emotion. Thus, these dreams linger in your thoughts longer and influence your day's mood. Bad dreams may be unpleasant but do not stay long. They rarely create ongoing distress. The biggest distinction is intensity and impact.
Keeping this in mind is useful when determining whether your nightmares must be treated. The occasional bad dream is normal. Persistent, intense nightmares interrupting sleep are not. If nightmares are occurring daily then it's time to check why.
Many reasons can cause nightmares. Often there is no particular reason. It can be a mixture of emotional stress and physical adjustments. Also, sometimes because of sleeping patterns. Reading about usual culprits might assist in determining what is causing yours.
One major cause is stress. When you're dealing with work pressure, personal problems, or uncertainty, your brain processes it during sleep. This can lead to intense dreams. Anxiety has a similar effect. If your thoughts race during the day, they're likely to show up at night too. Trauma is also a cause. People who have been battered, assaulted, involved in accidents, or lost often replay such experiences through nightmares. These nightmares can take a specific pattern or theme. In post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), they become standardized and as real as the experience itself.
Nightmares worsen due to poor sleeping habits. Waking up at unusual times and sleeping late. Even not having enough sleep interferes with our body's normal function cycle. Disturbed sleeping patterns lead to more intense dreams.
Food and drinks can also be a cause. Having caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime can again make dreams more intense. Some people also have nightmares if they eat heavy meals late at night.
Mental illness is most commonly implicated. Depression can cause nightmares or bad dreams. Also, panic disorder or generalized anxiety-prone people experience nightmares quite often, especially when under stress.
Mild nightmares are nothing more than an annoyance. But if they begin occurring more often than weekly, emotionally distressing, or causing less-than-ideal sleep, then there may be an issue. In some instances, nightmares are merely an indicator of a larger sleep disorder. Nightmare disorder is one such condition. In this disorder, people experience frequent disturbing dreams. They struggle to fall asleep and even remain awake. It affects mental health and daily life.
Nightmares may be associated with PTSD as well. When you experience such nightmares, they have a similar pattern and the actual traumatic event is included in them. Waking in fear or terror from experiencing flashback-typed dreams may be an indication of PTSD. In this case, assistance is needed from a mental health professional.
Two other common suspects include anxiety and depression. Both interfere with sleep. Also, they affect the way our brain processes emotion. It is also important to know that untreated sleep apnoea can cause disrupted sleep. This can also result in increased dream recall.
You can wish it away that nightmares only bother you when you're sleeping. But their effects extend well beyond that. Nightmares affect the quality of your sleep. It also impacts your mood during the daytime.
If you are having nightmares, it means you will lose deep sleep. It's important for your body and brain. But since it's not optimum, you end up being tired and cranky during the daytime. Later, your body will be suffering the consequences of not resting. You could get ill more often, have difficulty focusing, or be drained emotionally.
Sleep is most important when it comes to memory, mood, and even heart health. When nightmares keep you from sleeping well, they can influence all these.
Additionally, some people have sleep anxiety. They start fearing bedtime because of what might happen while sleeping. This fear makes them stay up very late, attempt not to sleep, or use drugs to help them sleep. Such habits work in a reverse manner and worsen nightmares.
In short, nightmares don't just terrorize the night. They set the tone for the whole next day-and sometimes much more.
Certain medications can also make nightmares more likely. If your nightmares began upon initiating a new medication, it's worth looking at the label or asking your GP.
Antidepressants are one class that can influence dreams. The drugs alter the way the brain controls mood and sleep. Some of them, particularly those which influence REM sleep, are sometimes associated with vivid or unsettling dreams.
Beta-blockers, which at times are prescribed for heart disease or hypertension, are also common offenders. These may disrupt a regular sleep rhythm and cause nightmares in certain people.
Drugs for Parkinson's disease or smoking cessation can also affect sleep. The reason for vivid dreams can be certain sleeping medications or sedatives, especially when they are stopped suddenly.
If you suspect that a drug is causing your nightmares, do not suddenly stop taking the medication without seeking the advice of a doctor. Instead, inform your doctor. The doctor may lower the dose or prescribe a different drug that is less likely to cause sleeping problems.
There are several things you can do to reduce nightmares. There is no shortcut or magic pill. But including small changes can add up to a huge difference.
Firstly, fixing a bedtime routine. Waking up and sleeping at a regular time daily prepares your body for a routine. It also helps uninterrupted sleep. Secondly, read a book or do some light stretching before bedtime. It will help you relax. Try reducing screen time before bed. Also, make sure it's dark and cool before sleeping time.
Journaling can also assist. Writing down what you are thinking of at nighttime could still your mind and calm your nerves. Some also find having a dream journal helpful. It helps you to become conscious of trends in your dreams and consider what could be triggering them.
If nightmares have a recurring theme, then imagery rehearsal therapy could work. That is a method of rewriting the nightmare with an improved conclusion and rehearsing it during wakefulness. Your brain would perhaps ultimately opt for the safer choice when dreaming.
Don't consume caffeine and alcohol near bedtime. Also, avoid large heavy meals. They disturb your sleep pattern and intensify dreams.
For individuals who are anxious, regular exercise is important. Try therapy and mind exercises to eliminate stress. Small changes like a walk outside can always make a difference.
If nightmares persist after all these then seek professional help. You can visit a doctor or a sleep specialist. Even a therapist will help.
You should get help if your nightmares:
Your GP will refer you to a sleep clinic or counsellor. Treatment will depend on the cause. For instance, therapy is usually most helpful for nightmares due to trauma, whereas drug changes can be required if it is the side effect of medication.
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) helps with nightmares due to anxiety. Imagery rehearsal therapy may also be attempted, particularly in the case of PTSD. Medication can sometimes be given to counteract nightmares directly.
Whatever the reason is, help is at hand. You need not accept sleepless nights and nightmarish sleep.