We’ve all been startled awake at an unseemly hour by a bad dream. Perhaps you were being stalked in the dead of night or trapped with your trousers down in a conference with your latest boss. Whatever the disquieting scenario, you undoubtedly awoke in a cold sweat with the luxury of a restful sleep interrupted by the sound of your heart pounding out of your chest.

Dreaming and attempting to analyze those dreams is something that puzzles most of us. Though for some, nightmares are a grave issue that can stop us from having our much-needed sleep and be an indication of hidden emotional issues that are not simple to face.

Part of the fearful thing concerning nightmares is that they can seem beyond our control. Though  the happy news is there are certain steps that we can adopt in our waking hours to remold our thoughts, and thus aid with knowing how to halt bad dreams from disturbing our sleep and affecting our days.

If you frequently undergo nightmares, you’ll undoubtedly want to know how to avoid having them. The pleasant news is that there are measures you can adopt to avoid bad dreams. It is understood that they can be distressing and disturbing in one way or another, and occasionally cause sleeplessness and even nightmares each night. Scan through to explore how to halt having nightmares.

Sleep Stages

During rest, we wade through separate stages that are categorized as either REM or Non-REM (NREM) sleep, and we redo the complete cycle 3 to 4 times over the night.

Non-rapid eye motion sleep starts initially and is split into 3 stages of its own: N1, N2, and N3.

N1 is extremely short – typically lasting not above 10 minutes. This stage happens instantly after you go into slumber and is a light sleep wherein you could conveniently wake up.

During N2, your muscles will ease more, and you may begin slow-wave brain activity. This stage can remain for 30-60 minutes.

The last stage of NREM, N3, continues for 20-40 minutes and is a heavier rest wherein you have elevated delta brain wave activity and probably body movements. Delta waves constitute the slowest type of brain activity and are connected to restorative sleep.

REM – or rapid eye movement – comes after NREM and comprises a deeper sleep. During this moment, your eyes will usually flutter, and breathing may get irregular.

Causes Of Nightmares

Amongst the initial steps we should adopt when attempting to avoid nightmares is to analyze what causes them and the reasons for their occurrence. In easy terms, they result from the action of our unconscious minds discharging fears and tensions during our resting. As per the NHS – there are diverse probable causes of adult nightmares, but they’re frequently connected to trauma, stress or a current mental health condition. They can also happen after taking specific kinds of medication, like antidepressants.

Frequent nightmares can be stimulated by numerous distinct things, and dealing with the basic cause is very probable to aid you sleep better:

Drugs and medications: some that impact the nervous system are connected with a greater chance of bad dreams. The withdrawal of a few medications inhibiting REM sleep can also cause them.

Severe stress and anxiety: bad experiences can result in nightmares at night.

Migraines: a few studies indicate that bad dreams can happen during a migraine instance or before the setting of a new episode. Nonetheless, research is still continuing to better define this association.

Experiencing repeated episodes during childhood. 

Sleep denial – the REM rebound can activiate vivid dreams and nightmares.

Mental health conditions – particularly those persons with depression, PTSD, and bipolar disorder. This can even lead to insomnia, as it’s the sole way to prevent them.

Other sleep disorders like insomnia or sleep apnea may also lead to fragmented sleep and bad dreams.

A genetic component may play a part in making people more prone to experiencing nightmares more regularly.

If nightmares break your sleep on a frequent basis and impact your daily life it’s regarded a disorder and the advice is to consult a doctor.

Besides being bad, nightmares can cause sleep deprivation, which conversely can also have an adverse effect on your general health.

How To Stop Nightmares

After understanding their causes, you can do things to attempt and avoid unpleasant dreams. The following are some easy ways on how to stop those sleep-robbing nightmares naturally.

Sleep Comfortably And Rest Conveniently

Uncomfortable beds or sleeping postures can occasionally lead to getting nightmares, so it’s essential that both your mattress and bed are in splendid condition. The more cozy your bed and bedroom are, the more probable you are to enjoy restful, nightmare-free sleep. Further, if you are conducive to nightmares attempt not to sleep on your back, as this posture has been believed to promote nightmares.

Keep A Tab On Your Food And Drink Intake

The food you consume could be responsible for your nightmares. And, eating dinner shortly before bedtime can practically feed your nightmares, so attempt not to do it. Additionally, cheese for supper is another recipe that can create issues. You should also refrain from high-energy drinks, alcohol, soft drinks, tea or coffee, in the evenings. These include caffeine that will make you stay awake late into the night.

Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol can also result in the feared REM rebound impact as they maintain you in a lighter state of sleep if you take them immediately before sleeping. Why not try out a relaxing decaf green tea rather?

Stick To A Routine

Being exhausted can cause nightmares so attempt and limit your late nights to the weekends and subject yourself to a quick night every so often. If you target a typical sleep pattern and go to sleep each night at the identical time, this also could hugely decrease the instance of nightmares.

De-stress And Ease Your Mind

Dump the stress outside the bedroom. Performing a sporting action 2 or 3 times weekly will assist to let go of any tension that you could be bringing home. And if you’re not the sporty kind, take a little jaunt outside during the evening to aid absolve your mind. Flipping through an interesting book is another alternative that can de-stress and help you unwind, though for apparent reasons keep away from thrillers, horror stories and anything else that will trigger your imagination and could cause bad dreams. There are numerous sleep relaxation methods you can attempt, you simply need to discover one that is ideal for you.

A slight mindfulness never goes awry. If your nightmares are being prompted by anxiety, PTSD or stress, indulge in some relaxation methods. Some mild yoga, breathing exercises or also a Headspace ‘sleepcast’ are some superbly calming alternatives that’ll have you sliding off to sleepy town with a positive mind.

Something Smells Pleasant

Retain fresh flowers in your bedroom, or spray some aromatic oils such as lavender on your pillow. Research has displayed that pleasant fragrances can exert a positive impact on your dreams and perhaps ward off the nightmares.

Speak Through The Problem

Another means to prevent nightmares is to confront them. Whether it’s a work-associated scenario or a memory that dates back to your childhood, talking through your unpleasant dreams with a partner, friend or relative could lower anxiety and assist you figure out what’s upsetting your sleep pattern.

Not willing to talk? Purchase a dream journal – penning your dreams and anxieties down can be an extremely soothing discharge of tension. Ultimately, sleep must be a delight, not a terror.

While you can’t manage your dreams and ensure you never undergo another nightmare, you can adopt steps to be better relaxed and lower your chances of undergoing a nightmare:

• Adhere to a regular bedtime routine, like when you hit the bed and when you awake.
• Instead of doomscroling on your phone or watching TV, go for relaxing activities like knitting or reading before bedtime.
• Ensure you allocate sufficient time for sleep. Usually, adults require nearly 7 and 8 hours each night.
• Render your bedroom a spot you feel cozy and safe in, whether that implies including a soft blanket, regulating the temperature or employing blackout curtains.
• Keeping a healthy lifestyle by frequent exercise, a balanced diet, performing activities you enjoy and controlling stress can all aid you sleep better.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine prior to bed; excess of either can disturb your sleep.

Bottom Line

We’ve considered a few things that you can do to prevent nightmares, or at least have less of them with an intention of getting a good night’s sleep.

The most essential thing is to simply be aware of what might activate a nightmare for you and attempt to evade those triggers prior to going to bed.

With slight effort, you should get to sleep without dreaming or at least having fewer nightmares to undergo pleasant waking life.