Nightmares can rob you of a good night’s sleep, regardless of your age. Even though you know it’s just a dream, waking up drenched in cold sweat and anxiety can make falling back asleep a daunting task. We're not talking about dreams where you find yourself naked in public or late for an important event, but rather those intense, scary nightmares that leave a lasting impact both physically and emotionally. If you suffer from such nightmares regularly, there might be a reason, and chances are, there's something you can do to stop them or at least reduce their frequency.
1. Identify Your Personal Trigger
If you wake up from a nightmare, it's highly recommended to write down what happened and try to identify recurring elements in your dreams. If you find it difficult to put your experiences into words, try drawing them. This can help you understand underlying issues in your life that surface in your nightmares, such as repressed emotions or lifestyle habits. It's important to do this immediately after waking up to capture as many details as possible before they fade from memory
Additionally, think about past traumas and see if they are related to your nightmares. If this is too challenging, consider seeking trauma therapy from a specialized psychologist. If trauma isn't the issue, check the side effects of any medications you are taking regularly, as they could be the cause of your nightmares. If so, consult your doctor about possible alternatives.
2. Create a Relaxing Sleep Routine
If the cause of your nightmares is unclear, try improving your sleep quality by creating a calming environment and establishing a routine that promotes good sleep. Dr. Chelsea Perry, a sleep medicine specialist from Massachusetts, offers the following tips:
- Create a Completely Dark Environment: Even the smallest light can disrupt your sleep, so close the curtains and make sure your room is as dark as possible at night.
- Try Breathing and Relaxation Techniques: If you have trouble relaxing when you lie down, try muscle relaxation or diaphragmatic breathing techniques.
- Eat the Right Foods: Heavy or spicy foods consumed close to bedtime can negatively affect your sleep cycle, so it's best to avoid them.
- Calm Your Mind: What you engage your mind with before bed is what it will dwell on during sleep, so avoid work and tasks that require a lot of mental effort before bedtime.
- Avoid Working in Bed: Working from bed can condition your brain to associate the bed with work, creating pressure when it's time to rest.
- Establish a Consistent Sleep and Wake Routine: Train your body to sleep better by going to bed and waking up at the same times each day, even on weekends.
4. Manage Your Stress Levels
Stress can trigger nightmares, so reducing stress levels is crucial to preventing them. "Anything you can do to promote calm and tranquility during the day and before bed will be beneficial," says Dr. Madeline McCowan, a clinical psychologist from New York. Activities like yoga, nature walks, or making a list of things you are grateful for can help – even acupressure points to relax the mind.
However, one thing that won't help is repressing thoughts and trying to avoid negative and burdensome issues. "Repression is a way to make these thoughts surface during sleep and in your dreams," says Dr. McCowan.
4. Maintain Healthy Sleep Habits
Nancy Bosnian, CEO of the nonprofit End No Sleep, which encourages better sleep habits, offers the following recommendations:
- Avoid Blue Light: The light from smartphones, TVs, and computers reduces melatonin production and thus the quality and duration of your sleep. Nancy recommends avoiding exposure to blue light for 30 minutes before bedtime.
- Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine: You don't have to give up caffeine entirely, just reduce the number of cups of coffee you drink per day and try not to drink coffee after 2 PM. Also, avoid alcohol, especially before bed. "Some people say it helps them sleep, but it actually negatively affects sleep quality," says Nancy. Instead, try taking a warm, relaxing bath before bed.
- Exercise Regularly: Studies show that regular physical activity helps improve sleep quality and reduces symptoms of sleep disorders. If you’re not used to exercising regularly, start with a 30-minute walk every evening, and consider doing some stretches before bed to enhance sleep quality.
When should I Seek Professional Help?
If nothing seems to help, it's highly recommended to seek help from a doctor or psychologist to address your nightmare problem, especially in the following situations:
- The nightmares keep recurring and won’t stop.
- The nightmares cause you to fear going to bed and falling asleep.
- The nightmares are starting to interfere with your daily activities and functioning.
Therapies for Nightmares
Several therapies have been shown to help with nightmare disorder:
- Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT): This involves rewriting your nightmares into less frightening scenarios and rehearsing these new scripts while awake.
- Lucid Dreaming Therapy: Being aware that you are dreaming can help you take control and change the outcome of your nightmares.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This helps reframe negative thoughts and behaviors associated with sleep and nightmares.
- Exposure, Relaxation, and Rescripting Therapy (ERRT): Combines exposure therapy with relaxation techniques to reduce the impact of nightmares.
Psychotherapy can provide tools to cope with nightmares, balance emotions, and understand the feelings and triggers that lead to nightmares. Imagery rehearsal therapy can also help, where you rewrite your nightmare scripts into neutral or even empowering dreams. For example, if you dream of being chased by a giant spider, you could rewrite the script so the spider is soft and easily squished, and you have a giant hammer to help you do it. Repeat this new script several times a day when you’re calm, and over time, it will seep into your dream and help you manage it. That's just an example, of course. What is important, in the end, is that there ARE tools to help you with these nightmares.
