Causes Of Bad Dreams At Night: How To Get Rid Of Nightmares?

Dreams are part of our life. Everyone some time or the other might have dreams, may be a good dream or a frightening dream that may have awakened a person during nighttime. Dreams occur during the REM stage of our sleep. Often bad dreams are remembered more than the pleasant dreams. Bad dreams are also called nightmares.

Most bad dreams cause a feeling of fear, sadness and depression. The emotional feeling after a nightmare can leave us in a state of panic for several days. Bad dreams can cause rapid heart rate and breathing, but seldom a person screams or wakes up from bed.

Children as well as adults both may experience bad dream, but it is more common in children between the ages of 5 to 12 years.

After a bad night dream when a person especially a child wakes up he becomes fully conscious of his surrounding, he only needs to be comforted by his parent. Bad dream can be of anything, it can be of scary images of monsters, animals, ghosts, accidents, injury etc. Most of the time children outgrow bad dreams with passage of time.

What Causes Dreams And Nightmares?

The exact cause of nightmares is not known.

Bad dreams are more common in children as compared to adults. Only 2 to 10 percent of adults suffer from bad dreams. Some of the triggers that are seen to cause bad dreams are being too tired, improper sleep, disturbed sleep, stress and anxiety. Bad dreams in children can be triggered from day time fearsome or anxious situations or moving to new neighborhood, conflict between parents, divorce, death in family, etc.

Hereditary factors are also suspected to play a role in bad dreams. If your parent or sibling suffers from frequent episodes of nightmares then you are more susceptible to it. Hereditary factor is commonly seen in children. Psychological factors such as day time fear, anxiety, mental stress and strain, unresolved conflicts, past psychological trauma etc are also responsible for bad dreams.

It is more common in blind individuals as compared to people with normal vision. According to a study there is an association with embarrassing situation during daytime that results in bad dreams at night in blind people. Mentally retarded children also suffer from frequent nightmares although the reason is not known. A bad dream is also common in people with high fever. Medications or withdrawal of certain drugs can produce nightmares.

How To Get Rid Of Bad Dreams At Night?

Nightmares that occur seldom in lifetime are considered normal. Everyone has history of few episodes of bad nightmares or good nightmares; however, if it occurs repeatedly than it is cause of concern. Sometimes bringing change in daily activities, proper sleep for 7 to 8 hours can reduce nightmares.

Change in diet, reducing stress and exercising daily can reduce the frequency of bad dreams in some people. Below are useful tips to get rid of bad dreams.

  • Keep aside your anger and anxiety when you sleep. Resolve your problems before you sleep. Avoid being angry before you sleep.
  • Avoid taking coffee, alcohol and tea right before bed time.
  • Avoid eating meat and fatty foods that take longer time to get digested at night.
  • Children should avoid watching horror movies, or reading scary stories as this may result in bad dreams in sleep.
  • Reduce your stress by daily exercise, medication and other alternative therapies.
  • Avoid sleeping on your back as it increases sleep apnea which is one of the causes triggering bad night dreams.
  • A good aroma in your bedroom will prevent bad nightmares. Keep aromatic oils and flowers in your bedroom.