A nightmare is a very stressful dream which usually forces at least partial awakening. Nightmares are often a creation of our fears. You will tend not to have nightmares if you rid yourself of fears. So find out what your fears are, and try to conquer them. Nightmares, however, can also be an early symptom that a disease is developing or that an attack is about to occur.
What Causes Nightmares?
There are many possibilities. Some nightmares can be caused by drugs or medications or by rapid withdrawal
from them, or by physical conditions such as illness and fever. The nightmares of early childhood likely reflect the struggle to learn to deal with normal childhood fears and problems. Many people experience nightmares after they have suffered a traumatic event, such as surgery, the loss of a loved one, an assault or a severe accident. The nightmares of combat veterans fall into this category. The content of these nightmares is typically directly related to the traumatic event and the nightmares often occur over and over. Other people experience nightmares when they are undergoing stress in their waking lives, such as difficulty or change on the job or with a loved one, moving, pregnancy, financial concerns, etc. Finally, some people experience frequent nightmares that seem unrelated to their waking lives. These people tend to be more creative, sensitive, trusting and emotional than average. Whenever you have a nightmare you should try to visualize a different ending on the dream. By doing this you may experience that it is a dream and we all know that dreams aren’t dangerous.
Common Causes of Nightmares:
- anxiety or stress are the most common cause: a major life event precedes the onset of nightmares in 60% of cases
- illness with a fever
- death of a loved one (bereavement)
- adverse reaction to or side effect of a drug
- recent withdrawal from a drug such as sleeping pills
- effect of alcohol or excessive alcohol consumption
- abrupt alcohol withdrawal
- breathing disorder in sleep (sleep apnea)
- sleep disorders (narcolepsy, sleep terror disorder)
How to Stop Nightmares?
-You can try to look for a pastor to pray for you.
-You can try sleeping tablets temporarily.
-Try to relax.
-Avoid too much stress.
-Keep your thoughts healthy.
-Avoid watching scary movies
-Is your conscience clear?
-Exercise so that you may sleep better.
-Do you have history of child abuse? If yes, you may like to look for a counsellor.
-Listen to soothing music.
