Dreams are beyond our control, and no matter how much we would like to control them, this is unlikely.

Often we don’t remember them at all, sometimes we see strange, funny or ridiculous pictures in our dreams, sometimes we plunge into pleasant and fabulous dreams, where everything is as we would like it to be in reality. But sometimes each of us has terrible nightmares - and this cannot be avoided.

Absolutely every person has had terrible dreams since childhood, for some it happens more often, for others less often, but there is hardly anyone who never has terrible dreams and for whom this has never happened. What to do if after waking up you cannot come to your senses, why do you dream about creepy, scary things and how to relate to them?

First of all, remember: if you have a bad dream, don’t be afraid of anything at all. Don’t rush to the dream book right away, don’t stress yourself out, the first thing you need to do is calm down.

A bad dream does not threaten you with anything, and it rarely happens that a nightmare foreshadows something bad in reality! Moreover, there are no prophetic nightmares.

So wash your face cold water, take a break, watch something positive or think about pleasant things. And only then you’ll figure out what it’s for. Because, of course, like all other dreams, nightmares don’t just happen for no reason.

What to do?

First, let's analyze where scary dreams come from, what myths are associated with them, and how to actually relate to such phenomena.

First of all, if you have a bad dream at night, this indicates that you are anxious or stressed. The first thing you need to do and undertake is to take care of yourself.

And believe me, it doesn’t matter whether you dream of every horror from Thursday to Friday, or are haunted by the same nightmare - a dream book with a dream book, but you need to get yourself in order.

• Start getting enough sleep, don’t eat at night, stop watching the news, scary and negative movies, protect yourself from negative energies and unpleasant communication.
• Reduce factors of fear, anxiety, uncertainty. Very often, horror dreams occur precisely because of excessive tension when the brain does not rest. Anxieties in dreams transform into creepy pictures.

Analyze what you dreamed

If the dream occurred from Thursday to Friday, or on some significant day, it is especially significant. Remember one thing - its events will not be repeated in reality, this is just a metaphor, a symbol.

We are used to being afraid of something, dividing phenomena into pleasant and unpleasant, and if we try to get away from evaluative thinking for a while and coldly, soberly analyze a terrible vision, much will become clear.

Play it through your memory like a movie that has nothing to do with you personally:

• What is he talking about?
• What message does it convey?
• Who or what are you afraid of?

If a vision or creepy image recurs, it should be taken seriously. Especially if you regularly have nightmares from Thursday to Friday, this night is marked by significant dreams that are worth paying attention to.

Think about what kind of image or vision this is? Obviously, this is your fear, or what you are hiding from.

Try telling your dream to a friend - and you will see how insignificant and funny it becomes. Because what you are terrified of is only scary for you!

Think about what you are afraid of real life, from which you stubbornly hide. And open yourself to it! Nightmares will disappear, and with them most of the worries and problems in reality.

Method for getting rid of nightmares

There is an interesting technique that was developed by psychoanalysts working with dreams. Scientists do not care about the dream book; they do not attach importance to whether the dream occurred on the night of Thursday to Friday, and so on. But they found a wise solution.

Often nightmares are repeated, the same terrible dream is dreamed over and over again, and there is no way out. And all because every time you wake up from fear, and the dream does not have time to end.

For example, you are being stalked scary beast, and you wake up before he catches up with you. Try in reality, in your fantasies, to end this dream.

Let him catch up with you, let you fly to the ground, falling from the roof, let what you fear happen. This is just a dream! Use your imagination.

Fight the pursuer, “finish” yourself a sword or friends-helpers. Let your parachute open just before the ground. Change the outcome of a terrible dream, watch it in your imagination, and it will cease to exist!

Basic values

However, every dream, nightmare or simple, from Thursday to Friday or another night, always has a meaning. And you need to find out by looking in the dream book.

There are basic types of nightmares that are characteristic and common. And it’s very easy to interpret them!

1. Any persecution always means an attempt to avoid, to get away from something. Care is a defense mechanism of the psyche that does not lead to good.

What are you running from? From dangers, difficulties, from love, responsibility, some of your own qualities. If you stop hiding, not only will your dreams pass, but your real waking life will change significantly for the better.

2. Why do you dream of a threat to life? Each specific situation means something different, the dream book will tell you this, but in general you dream of a threat to life as an indicator that in reality you strive to keep everything under control, do not intend to leave your comfort zone and are not ready to accept life as it is.

Understand that life is life, and you need to accept it, understand it, realize it and take it into your own hands. If you want to change something, change it, but don’t try to convince yourself that everything is fine if there are problems!

3. Death is often seen in nightmares. What is this for? It is especially scary if you dreamed of death from Thursday to Friday, because this night is considered the night of prophetic dreams. Do not be afraid!

In fact, no matter how scary the dream is, it promises only good things! Death in dreams always symbolizes renewal, a new stage in life, even healing.

Why are dreams of death so unpleasant and scary? It's simple. Significant changes, even for the better, are always difficult, always stressful, and often we are afraid of them. Stop being afraid of new things - and not only will the nightmares end, but life will also become much brighter and more joyful!

If you have nightmares from Thursday to Friday and the dream book warns of something, be aware, this is the main thing. The dream book can say a lot of wise and useful things, but remember - only you control your own destiny, and decide what to fear and what to win. Author: Vasilina Serova

Scientists say that about 5% of our planet's population suffers from regular nightmares. From time to time, any person has dreams in which he escapes from being chased, tries to hide from creepy monsters, Fall into car crashes and plane crashes, loses loved ones, dies from illness. Bad dreams can signal a real problem and cannot be ignored. It is important to understand why you have nightmares.

Nightmares are a symptom of the disease

Why do I have nightmares at night? English scientists working on sleep issues have recorded an interesting incident. For several months, a man suffered from a dream in which his mother stabbed him in the stomach with a knife. This man was eventually diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. As it turned out, the unfortunate man ate heavy, fatty food, undesirable for such a problem, and it was his mother who prepared it.

According to doctors, negative dreams can indicate a disease present in a person. It is interesting that poor sleep can serve as the first symptom of a mild cold. Night terrors can tell about a serious illness even a couple of months before the first signs appear. Of course, somnologists are trying to identify patterns by analyzing the plots of “sleepy” adventures.

Real illnesses and dreams

Studying the plots of negative dreams, according to experts, may indicate specific diseases. Why do you have nightmares in which a person drowns, falls, falls underground, and lacks air? It is possible that his illness is mild or cardiovascular system. Problems with the joints and spine are indicated by frightening dreams associated with lifting heavy objects, uncomfortable shoes, and the need to squeeze through a narrow gap.

Why do people have nightmares about teeth falling out, food disappearing, seeing blood, or smelling disgusting odors? This may serve as a signal of disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract. Toxic poisoning, infectious diseases trigger emotional, colorful bad dreams. Persecution and pursuit predict Alzheimer's disease, indicate a tendency towards it, and the possibility of memory loss.

Nightmares and psychology

Modern psychologists pay maximum attention to dreams; in their opinion, dreams are a vivid reflection of a person’s current emotional state. Night terrors become frequent guests during difficult periods of life. These could be financial problems, professional dissatisfaction, difficulties in your personal life. There are certain patterns in why nightmares with repeating plots occur.

If a person in a dream falls from a great height or flies into an abyss, one can assume lack of self-confidence and being in a constant state of anxiety. Stiffness of movements, inability to speak, run, and a feeling of paralysis indicate a non-vain search for a solution to a confusing problem. An attack, a chase, or the entry of strangers into the house indicate dissatisfaction with oneself or certain aspects of one’s personality.

Overeating is dangerous

The reason why you have nightmares is not always due to a serious illness. Even seemingly harmless overeating can become a reason for nighttime worries. Most often, those who indulge in fatty and spicy foods and are addicted to sweets complain about negative dreams. The popular Atkinson diet, which is based on protein-rich, high-calorie foods and no carbohydrates, has been sharply criticized by doctors. Such a diet “overloads” the brain, causing it to generate various horrors.

Not even a large number of Eating right before bed activates metabolism and digestive processes, pushing the brain to work actively. The result is often scary dreams. It is advisable not to eat anything at all for at least three hours before plunging into the sleepy kingdom. Very useful in terms of restful sleep fasting days, dreams will be positive.

Going to bed on an empty stomach is not at all necessary; it is even harmful. It is easy to get rid of hunger pangs with the help of warm milk, honey, and natural juices.

Bad habits

Alcohol, caffeine, and energy drinks are common answers to the question of why you constantly have nightmares. The agitated subconscious cannot calm down. By the way, people who have just given up alcohol often experience bad dreams.

Research has also confirmed bad influence smoking to sleep. Cigarette abuse interferes with complete relaxation and rest. You should not sleep much during the day, even if sleep comes at night, its character will take on depressing, severe forms. Only a short nap of half an hour is useful.

What position is best to sleep in?

Doctors strongly discourage people from sleeping on their stomachs. This habit becomes the source of many problems and often causes nightmares. The chest is compressed, the functioning of the lungs becomes difficult, and the amount of oxygen entering the body is reduced. The position of the head in this position is also incorrect; turning it 90 degrees reduces the quality of nutrition of the brain.

By falling asleep on your back, a person is doing the right thing. Complete muscle relaxation is ensured, neck tension does not occur, and digestive processes are improved. It is important that your shoulders do not lie on the pillow, your head does not lean forward or tilt back. This position is best for sleeping. The mystery of why you have nightmares on your back does not lie in the choice of this position.

Night fears of men and women

Numerous studies indicate that scary adventures in women's and men's dreams are different. Women more often see in their dreams the death of a loved one, rape, negative changes in appearance, and interpersonal conflicts. Men “experience” life-threatening situations, disasters (earthquake, flood), wars, job loss. Failed exams - common topic, it’s not just students who are experiencing this shock.

Why do pregnant women often have nightmares? Expecting a child is associated with hormonal changes, which always affect the brain. The main fears of expectant mothers are difficult childbirth, miscarriages, the birth of a sick baby, and kidnapping of a baby.

The child has bad dreams

Why does my child have nightmares? Children's bad dreams are associated with fears that the child often creates on his own. Their source can be horror stories- creepy old women, black houses, cemeteries, spiders. A son or daughter may be afraid of moving to a new school, worried about family conflicts, afraid of parents' divorce, or suffering due to the death of a pet.

The source of a negative dream in a child, as in adults, can be illness; often bad dreams become companions of elevated temperature. By the way, you should take a hot bath at least two to three hours before going to bed. Some medications have by-effect, for example, antidepressants, antihistamines.

Films or computer games that contain scenes of violence are contraindicated for children. Such stories often return to them in dreams.

Teenager has bad dreams

Why do teenagers have nightmares every night? Adolescence is one of the most favorable periods for scary dreams. Happening puberty, conflicts occur with teachers, peers, and parents. There is a need to choose a future profession. Psychological maturity in most cases occurs much later, which leads to fears and worries.

Like children, teenagers can have bad dreams due to illness. The problem may be due to certain medications, their side effects or discontinuation. Lack of sleep schedule is harmful for teenagers. Also, negative consequences are possible due to too late dinners, which activate brain activity.

Nightmares and sports

Physical activity is good for health and effectively promotes healthy sleep. However, if a person overdoes heavy training, gets too carried away with exercise, nightmares will come to him often. In no case should you exercise before bed; the body should not receive serious stress three hours before going to bed. This applies to both adults and children.

But for healthy sleep, evening walks are simply invaluable. Views of the city at night, Fresh air The setting sun is an effective lullaby. The blood is fed with oxygen, clarity of consciousness comes. If you can’t go for a walk in the evening, you should definitely ventilate the bedroom. Stuffy rooms are one of the answers to the question of why I have nightmares every day.

Meditation promotes effective relaxation. A person plunges into his subconscious, relieves stress and gains balance. All this is the key to a comfortable sleep. Sexual contacts have approximately the same property. Hugs and kisses trigger a flow of positive emotions that can turn into pleasant dreams.

Things to do before bed

The shortest path to a nightmare is an emotional shock received in the evening. You can’t worry and scream; the subconscious will work through alarming situations even at night. It is better not to leave serious matters for the evening, not to create scandals. Even an unpleasant conversation on the phone can be a source of bad dreams.

Computer games and watching television also negatively affect human dreams. Even if we are not talking about scenes of violence, cruelty, or waves, magnetic waves propagated by the achievements of progress are enough to reduce the quality of recreation. They change brain activity, which can lead to negative dreams. Therefore, it is highly not recommended to place a TV in the bedroom.

And finally, when fighting bad dreams, you should carefully examine your own bed. It should be as comfortable as possible. A good orthopedic mattress, properly selected blanket and pillow will reduce the likelihood of nightmares to a minimum.

Every person has had terrible dreams at least once in their life. But if they come to some people occasionally, they torment others constantly. The state of fear is accompanied by cold sweat, rapid breathing and confusion. At the same time, the time a person returns to normal depends on the phase in which the dreams appeared.

If you have nightmares, then the person wakes up quickly and immediately realizes the unreality of the events. When terrible dreams come, the sleeper is unable to quickly escape from the “embraces of Morpheus”, so he is not aware of reality for several minutes after waking up.

Symptoms

When bad dreams occur rarely, it is sometimes associated with a nervous breakdown, shock, stress, or even just watching a horror movie before bed. But if nightmares are constant, they are trying to warn a person about something, for example, about the presence of a serious illness. This is especially pronounced in cases where the entire dream or some event in it is repeated.

For example, in England, a man complained to doctors that he once had a nightmare about dying from a knife wound to the stomach. After that, the terrible dream came to him every night, sometimes changing, but the essence remained the same. A couple of months later, oncologists diagnosed pancreatic cancer.

Bad dreams come to a person not only during a serious illness, but also in cases of mild illness, such as a cold or flu. Psychologists and somnologists are trying to identify the relationship between terrible events in visions and reality, but this science has not yet been studied, and it is not always possible to draw the right conclusions.

Psychology of nightmare

Experts, answering the question of why nightmares occur, mention the patient’s emotional state. Bad dreams go hand in hand with financial, psychological or physiological difficulties in life.

Nightmares often develop due to the inability to realize oneself in the professional sphere. In such cases, the plot of the dream is closely related to work and can be repeated almost unchanged.

Causes

The causes of nightmares should be sought if they torment a person every night, disrupting peaceful sleep and rest. A number of them are associated with an incorrect lifestyle, while others can warn of the development of serious diseases - the etiology of scary dreams must be clarified.

Preschool age

The child has nightmares due to the fact that he has a high sensitivity threshold. Bad dreams can be triggered by vivid negative impressions, a complete absence of friends, insults from peers, and strong quarrels between parents.

In dysfunctional families, where deception and physical punishment are considered the norm, children constantly have nightmares. The same can be said about children in orphanages.

The only thing parents need to do is to provide their child with a stable, supportive environment in the family, be attentive to his fears and pay attention to how the child communicates with his peers. Very soon, terrible dreams will stop coming to him at night, and with the development nervous system the syndrome will disappear completely.

Overwork

It occurs in both children and adults. It often appears in children aged 2-4 years, when at times the need to go to bed during the day disappears. As a result, the child becomes very tired in the evening, which manifests itself in dreams.

Overwork in adults is mainly associated with daytime experiences and unresolved issues that a person subconsciously tries to sort out during rest. The same thing happens when it comes to severe fatigue associated with a change of environment, for example, when moving.

Depression and stress

A large number of stressful situations during the daytime - common reason nightmares. This is a professional syndrome of firefighters, doctors, employees law enforcement or rescue services.

But other reasons for developing depression can cause scary dreams. Any person, being in a state of strong emotional experiences, loses peace day and night, because he unconsciously tries to find a way out of the current situation. This situation gives rise to emotional overstrain that turns into nightmares.

A psychotherapist will help you sort out your problems and restore calm to your life by protecting yourself from sources of constant stress. Without special treatment, bad dreams will return every night.

Various diseases

Diseases internal organs cause nightmares whether a person knows about them or not. As a rule, they are accompanied by additional symptoms such as:

• Headache;
• Neurosis;
• Increased body temperature;
• Severe hypoxia.

If you continue to feel unwell for several days, and you begin to have nightmares, you should consult your doctor and undergo a full preventive examination.

Binge eating

Endocrinologists, therapists, somnologists, nutritionists and even trainers in the gym say that it is not recommended to eat 3-4 hours before bedtime, so as not to disturb your rest. However, only a few people know that overeating before bed can cause nightmares.

Overstimulation of the body trying to digest the food it receives leads to psychological disorders. The situation becomes aggravated if the late dinner contained a large amount of sweet, fatty or spicy foods. Speeding up your metabolism at night will lead to insomnia for a couple of hours at best, and debilitating nightmares at worst.

Rest in unsuitable conditions

Going to bed should be accompanied by certain rituals, including the preparation of comfortable conditions. Bright light, loud music, stale air, foreign odors, etc. can disrupt the process of falling asleep. In normal situations, such inconveniences lead to sleep disturbances and sometimes even frequent nightmares.

Ancient teachings claim that bad dreams are caused by negative energy. They explain night visions by the incorrect position of the bed, the poor furnishings of the room, or the negative aura of the sleeping place itself. . However, scientists have not yet been able to give a scientific explanation for this phenomenon and are inclined to believe that self-hypnosis is to blame.

Creative person

People who are creative are more likely to have scary dreams than others. This is due to the fact that they have a high threshold of sensitivity; they experience all negative events in life more intensely.

It is creative individuals who see prophetic dreams and predict bad events, which then come true.

Having bad habits

This includes not only smoking, alcohol abuse and drug use, but also a passion for caffeine-based tonic drinks, long-term use medicines and other negative factors that destroy the body from the inside. All this keeps the nervous system in a state of excitement and does not allow you to relax at night. This is the simplest explanation for why nightmares occur after heavy drinking.

Scary dreams are experienced by young mothers who keep themselves alert with a fair amount of caffeine and at the same time are constantly under stress. If such a symptom begins to appear, the body gives a signal that it is time to stop and reconsider your lifestyle, to find harmony with yourself.

Another personality

Psychologists know that every person has good and bad sides. What others see is the result of a daily struggle with oneself. By nature, one of the sides is expressed more strongly than the other, and if a person has to fight with it, it turns into nightmares.

The benefits and harms of nightmares

It is traditionally believed that nightmares only bring harm, since they disrupt the normal process of rest, frighten the sleeper, and sometimes haunt him for a long time in real life in his memories. But it turns out that in some cases having a bad dream is useful, since A psychological “reboot” helps to throw off the burden of worries and survive stressful moments in life.

TO positive aspects scary dreams include:

• Personal growth if the vision comes at a turning point in life and helps to survive it. Moreover, the dream itself can be nightmarish throughout its entire duration, and end with the dreamer’s unexpected victory over difficulties.
• The release of negative emotions allows you to relieve the nervous system. Even if you had to wake up in the middle of the night, in the morning the person will be rested and full of strength, since all the accumulated negative emotions will go away.
• Nightmares in some cases help to realize a hidden problem in one or another area of ​​life. Having understood this, a person will deal with difficulties in reality.

But all this makes sense if bad dreams come rarely. In cases where nightmares torment the sleeping person every night, the person becomes nervous, irritable, and there is a significant deterioration in well-being. Naturally, in this case, terrible dreams only bring harm.

Causes of nightmares by age

At different ages, the same dreams carry different meanings. How older age, the more often a person wonders why nightmares occur. And this is correct, because in childhood bad dreams are driven by emotions, in adolescence - the formation of hormonal levels, and only in adult life the ability to rationally approach deciphering night visions appears.

Bad dreams in a child

Children's nightmares are associated with strong impressions and fears that the child causes in himself or with the help of other children. A good fantasy encourages you to come up with various scary stories or give special meaning to ordinary natural phenomena.

In addition, nightmares in children are associated with stress. The reasons for it are different:

• Transfer to another school;
• Frequent quarrels between parents;
• Preparing to visit the doctor.

The task of parents in such situations is to try to calm the baby as much as possible, give him a positive attitude and maintain a calm emotional environment in the family.

The third reason for terrible night visions is an illness accompanied by an increase in temperature, taking medicines.

Bad dreams in a teenager

Transitional age is difficult time for every person and his loved ones, since during this period it becomes difficult to keep one’s emotions under control, cases of quarrels with relatives and peers become more frequent. The situation is complicated by the fact that it is during puberty, when a teenager is trying to understand himself, that he has to make serious choices future profession. Lack of sufficient psychological maturity leads to wrong decisions, fears that incorrect choice will negatively affect the rest of your life.

Bad dreams in teenagers reflect all their fears, worries, and are also a consequence of ongoing emotional stress. The best thing parents can do is to make it clear to the child that they will accept any of his decisions and will support him in all his endeavors. If you begin to have nightmares in the year of passing exams, urgent emotional relief is needed - a weekend spent not with textbooks, but with friends outdoors in active games or in the family circle, will have a positive effect on the changing body and will help cope with fears.

Bad dreams in adults

Adults treat nightmares differently. Rational thinking allows you to quickly determine the cause of bad dreams, be it watching horror movies at night or a lot of stress in your life.

Nightmares are most severe during pregnancy. This is the time when a woman is most susceptible to external negative influence, supported by hormonal changes and a large number of fears, such as difficult childbirth, the birth of a sick child, and the possibility of miscarriage. Unfortunately, not many people understand that expectant mothers need support more than ever and do not pay attention to the condition of the pregnant woman.

If daily nightmares appear and threaten the health of the mother and her child, you should seek help from a psychologist and drink light sedative herbal decoctions before bed.

Daily nightmares

When wondering why people have nightmares every night, they don’t think that the reason lies in improper preparation for bed. Overeating, an uncomfortable mattress, poor quality bedding - all this leads to discomfort and bad dreams.

• Last meal no later than 3-4 hours before bedtime;
• A short walk in the fresh air 30 minutes before rest;
• Warm relaxing bath with essential oils will make it easier to go to bed;
• Herbal sedative tea helps normalize the activity of the central nervous system;
• Ventilating the room will enrich the air with oxygen;
• It is better to fall asleep in silence or with quiet, pleasant music;
• Avoid watching horror movies before bed.

If all these measures did not help, and bad dreams continue to torment a person every night, you should consult a doctor and be checked for the possibility of developing pathological processes in the body.

Solving the problem during the day

In cases where nightmares are not accompanied by destructive processes, and you can’t cope with them on your own, it’s good to try Several techniques for dealing with bad dreams in daylight:

• Getting out of stress on your own, for example, taking a long rest, returning to your favorite hobby, self-care;
• Discussing scary dreams with loved ones, perhaps together we can find the cause of the problem;
• Increased self-esteem;
• Understanding dreams and working out another scenario for the development of events, leading to a positive ending to the nightmare.

In some cases, psychotherapists help in the fight against fears. Comprehensive therapy, consisting of regular conversations and taking mild sedatives, allows you to calm your emotions and look at the situation with a fresh perspective.

Prevention

There are no special measures to prevent nightmares. However, research shows that healthy people, tuned to positive mood, rarely complain of any sleep problems. Doctors recommend a set of simple measures to prevent the occurrence of scary dreams:

• Compliance with the rituals of preparing for bed and preparing a comfortable place to rest;
• Maintaining normal physical activity throughout the day;
• Engaging in any hobby that requires increased concentration - drawing, assembling puzzles, knitting, etc.;

You come home from work and do household chores. By the end of the day, your energy is running out, and you just want to sleep and relax. You fall asleep. But, after some time, you realize that there is no proper rest due to a terrible dream, which causes tension and anxiety.

Each of us has encountered this phenomenon once or repeatedly. So why do you have nightmares?

Nightmares: benefit or harm?

Nightmares are considered dreams that frighten a person. According to scientists, this is a product of the activity of our brain, which intensively fights negative emotions, stress or conflicts.

In their opinion, periodically having nightmares can even be useful, since they neutralize the unpleasant sensations that have accumulated in real life.

It’s hard for us to believe, but “watching” a bad dream should lead to a psychological “reboot”, relieve consciousness, and distract us from the experiences that we encounter during the day.

What could be their benefit for humans?

1. Accompanying a turning point in life (a dream associated with overcoming obstacles, victory in a dream, solving a difficult/unrealistic task - indicate your internal forces and convince them of their ability to solve the problem). Such dreams symbolically represent your transition to another stage in development and confirm personal growth.
2. Unloading of the nervous system, outburst of negative emotions (resentment, anger, irritation, dissatisfaction) after parting, loss loved one, changes in working conditions. “Viewing” nightmares (according to experts) in this case helps to achieve emotional balance, to come to a balance of positive and negative emotions.
3. An indication of a real problem, which for some reason we do not notice or do not attach importance to. Nightmares become a kind of “warning”, a motive for concentrating on one or another aspect of your life.

Negative aspects of “nightmare” dreams

At the same time, it is difficult for an ordinary person to accept the benefits of a nightmare. Bad dreams can trigger premature awakening and then cause insomnia.

They are remembered for a long time and bring anxiety into our lives about the unknown and inexplicable. If nightmares are repeated regularly, they become a source of lack of sleep, poor mood and well-being, which manifest themselves during the daytime.

What are the causes of nightmares?

People of different ages, nationalities and religions, from different social strata, regardless of their status and financial condition, encounter terrible dreams. All of them periodically (and some often) have nightmares.

And, it would seem, what could be common between them? Modern experts have identified a number of generalized reasons for the occurrence of “frightening” dreams:

Childhood

Children who have a high threshold of emotional sensitivity very often dream of horrors.

The reasons for the appearance of frightening dreams in childhood may be frequent quarrels between parents (including at night), lack of friends or even negative attitudes of peers towards the child, physical punishment, and deception. All this leads to the formation of emotional trauma.

Overwork (physical fatigue/severe psychological stress)

A person constantly mentally “returns” to one or another unresolved situation, including during sleep. Or when you are forced to experience many stressful situations during the day.

The risk group in this area includes people from such professions as doctors, employees of various rescue services, and law enforcement agencies.

Stress/depression

Stressful conditions also quite often cause recurring nightmares. Psychologists define this as a direct correlation between such psychological states and frightening dreams.

The brain of a person who is stressed or depressed does not rest even in sleep - the subconscious continues to search for a “way out” of the vicious circle of current circumstances.

Severe emotional shock can turn into nightmares: if you have been involved in an accident, an accident, or a witness to violence or bullying, then most likely you will be faced with a “continuation of these horrors” during your night’s rest.

There is also a stable concept of “post-traumatic stress disorder,” which experts most often observe in people who have returned from combat zones.

Particularly impressionable individuals may experience nightmares even from watching thrillers, action films or horror films before bed.

Also, the cause of stress or depression, and, consequently, scary dreams, can be unpleasant repetitive actions (unloved work, regular communication with unpleasant people).

Health problems

The causes of nightmares can be not only a person’s psychological conditions, but also poor health, discovered or not yet manifested diseases of internal organs.

The likelihood of nightmares in such cases is high if a person suffers from headaches, body temperature rises, overexcitation, neuroses, or oxygen starvation occurs. Impaired breathing due to snoring can also lead to the appearance of “scary pictures”.

Binge eating

One of the most common causes of nightmares and, perhaps, one of the most easily removable, is overeating. If you overeat before going to bed, you will most likely end up with organ dysfunction, overexcitation, and, as a result, bad dreams.

So, you are most likely “asking for” bad dreams if you eat fatty or spicy food before bed - such food increases your body temperature, speeds up your metabolism and will 100% prevent you from getting a full rest.

Poor sleeping conditions

External stimuli: bright light, flickering, loud sounds, music, lack of air - turn into dreams in an exaggerated form, including those with “nightmare” content.

One of the possible reasons for negative subjects in dreams may even be incorrect placement/location of the sleeping place! Once you move the bed or simply lie down on another bed, the nightmares may subside.

Creative person

It is believed that creative individuals have nightmares more often than others, since they are more sensitive to the outside world and deeply experience what is happening.

Sometimes people of “creativity” are able to predict in a dream the onset of negative consequences of any actions in reality. Scary dreams in such cases act as a kind of warning.

Bad habits and taking medications

People who have abused alcohol (with a hangover or after a binge), drugs (God forbid!) or products containing a high proportion of caffeine “attract” negative dreams to themselves because they are in extreme excitement, the body does not rest and does not relax, “removing » these substances.

Starting to take medications (or, conversely, stopping them) can cause nightmares in your sleep (especially if these medications are hypnotics, sedatives, or antidepressants).

The “secret” side of personality

And to conclude the list, I would like to say that nightmares sometimes become a person’s “shadow” - something that he cannot accept in himself, and in life he hides behind restraint and upbringing (for example, aggressive feelings, or uncertainty).

What to do if nightmares come regularly?

Following these recommendations will help prevent bad dreams, as well as reduce their impact on your physical and emotional well-being:

Sleep and diet

1. Try to fall asleep before 22:00 every night.
2. Eat 3-4 hours before bedtime. Avoid eating nuts, legumes, and meat in the evening.

Healthy lifestyle and relaxation

1. Before going to bed, do something pleasant for yourself: take a bath, drink warm chamomile tea or milk with honey.
2. Walking in the fresh air, ventilating the room, or sleeping with the window open are great ways to get rid of unpleasant dreams.
3. Moderate sports and physical activity will help relieve tension, relieve stress, and reduce anxiety.

1. The use of drawing therapy - with drawing individual parts of the nightmare and adding bright colors to the “picture”, introducing positive elements (sun, smiles, etc.)
2. Using some elements from yoga (for example, breathing exercises to calm music).

Finding and solving problems while awake

1. Finding a way out of difficult situations, finding internal or external resources to overcome stress.
2. Discussing nightmares with loved ones and relatives - an outside perspective can help in identifying/solving the problem.
3. Strengthening self-esteem.
4. If you are in the middle of a nightmare, “reprogram” yourself for a positive outcome of the dream.

If nightmares recur even after taking the measures listed above, the best solution would be to seek help from a doctor.

Whatever the reasons that you are having nightmares, we wish you a speedy elimination of them, sweet dreams and good rest at night and during the day!

Nightmares are a sleep disorder that is a dream of a negative nature. There are many reasons why you have nightmares. Basically, they all tend to psychological conflicts. However, you should not tilt them only in a negative direction. They bring positive experience, making it possible to resolve current life problems. Most of the difficulties we experience are unconsciously suppressed within our consciousness. Therefore, by remembering the details, you can get a hint about the most significant problem that needs to be solved.

Positive effects of dreams with nightmares

Experts have found several ways to answer the question: “Why do you have nightmares?” Since bad dreams are a product of brain activity, all negative emotions and experiences are projected in our consciousness. If you constantly have nightmares at turning points in life, it means that a person is showing himself in a new light. Dreams of this kind are characterized by a positive outcome. In most cases, bad dreams appear as a result of mental trauma. This could be the death of a family member, a serious accident, etc. Thus, a person throws out all the negativity, restoring mental balance. At first I have nightmares every night and, after some time, they stop.

Who is affected by nightmares?

Adults do not pay much attention to bad dreams, but young children are greatly affected psychological impact. If a child has nightmares, what should their parents do? First of all, you should pay attention to what happened to him during the day. Try to adequately perceive his experiences, because the main cause of childhood nightmares is the struggle with any experiences. The right advice and detailed analysis of situations will help your child calm down and avoid a restless night.
Among the adult generation, negative dreams are characteristic of creative people with a rich imagination. In addition, anyone with a demanding profession can experience stress associated with violent scenes. These include doctors, military personnel, firefighters, etc.

Causes of nightmares

Scientists believe that when nightmares occur, the reasons primarily lie in a person’s lifestyle. The main problem is eating shortly before bed. The working condition of the stomach does not allow the body to rest. As a result, the body experiences discomfort, which is reflected in dreams. An equally popular problem is alcohol. Most people often wonder why people have nightmares after a hangover? Alcohol itself carries negative character for the body. Therefore, the presence of negative scenes in a dream is completely justified and depends on the degree of intoxication. The more alcohol you drink, the more vivid your nightmares. Also, the cause may be psychological experiences or illnesses accompanied by unpleasant sensations. Such situations are the main reason why you have nightmares every night.

How to get rid of nightmares

Having dealt with the cause of bad dreams, try not to repeat the harmful effects. Take your last meal 3-4 hours before bedtime. Before you go to bed, give your body a rest. Take a hot bath, change into clean pajamas and drink tea. Go to bed at a strictly set time, allowing you to get enough sleep before starting a hard day. Fresh air plays a big role. Spend time as often as possible open space, away from the bustle of the city.
You can get rid of the same nightmare by carefully studying its details. Reflect on the meaning of what you see and take action to solve the problem. Talk to a close friend. This will help you unload psychologically.

Why do you have a nightmare according to Miller's dream book?

If a person has a nightmare that puts pressure on his psychological state, it means that difficult disputes and difficulties await him. For women, this means deep disappointment in something or undeserved neglect from others. You need to take such dreams as a warning and take careful care of your health. In general, we can say that nightmares are part of our lives and are not difficult to cope with. However, if you are unable to solve the problem on your own, it is better to contact an experienced psychotherapist who will help restore peace of mind.

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