Everyone has had a nightmare at some time in life, and the truth is that it is a rather unpleasant event that interrupts our rest, distresses us, accelerates our heartbeat, and can even make us cry, even when our body is aware that it is a dream. And nothing that we are “living” is real. If having a nightmare can be exasperating, having nightmares and having more than once a week can be much more so.
Nightmares are a sleep disorder that appears in the deepest part and produces sensations through images that seem so real that they can unleash terror, fear, anguish, and anxiety in us. Some have nightmares and never remember them, some wake up disturbed by their dreams, and some ask themselves daily: why do I have so many nightmares. The truth is that the causes of these episodes can be many, so we invite you to know them in this FastlyHealarticle.
Table of Contents
Nightmares overview
- Nightmares usually start from the age of 10 and are a distinguishing factor in childhood.
- They are more common in girls than boys.
- They are usually triggered around an actual event or fear, fear of the first day of classes at a new school, fear of changing jobs, or fear of being fired.
- Nightmares in adulthood are usually a mechanism of the brain to deal with the fears, worries, fears, anxieties, and tensions that evade when the person is conscious.
- Between the ages of 22 and 55, nightmares are less frequent.
- According to a study by German scientists, the most common nightmares are: falling into the void, the death of a family member, being late for work, being chased, failing, and being paralyzed. This article will tell you the most frequent ones and their meanings.
- When we perfectly remember a nightmare, it is because we dream it very close to the moment we wake up.
- Women dream more about the loss of a family member and sexual harassment. Men with violence and job loss.
A nightmare from time to time or even once a week is typical, especially when the person is going through or about to face a significant change in their life. However, why can there be times in life when we have too many nightmares and are even victims of them up to more than twice a week. Let’s see!
Why do I have so many nightmares?
Anxiety
Are you a very anxious person? Are you diagnosed with anxiety? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you have just found the cause of your nightmares. When we are or are anxious, worried, or stressed, the peaks of stress and anguish in our nervous system are very high, which increases the chances of having a nightmare.
Drastic changes
Some events can transform our lives completely, undoubtedly altering our emotions and increasing the risk of suffering more nightmares. For example, moving to another country, getting married, a breakup, changing jobs, or being promoted, among others, are events that throw our emotional stability out of control and affect the possibility of achieving a deep sleep without interruptions because our mind remains active and agitated by feelings and worries.
Traumatic situation
Some events mark our lives forever: the loss of a loved one, an accident, etc. These events can create trauma in our subconscious, a constant fear of remembering or reliving what happened, which alters the stability of our dreams and manifests itself through nightmares during the deepest phase. If you’ve recently had more nightmares than before, and they all revolve around the same topic, you may have something to overcome in your life.
Health
We are more prone to nightmares when we are sick since we do not feel well, and the discomfort prevents a deep rest. Fever, in particular, can produce disturbing dreams. People who breathe only through their mouths, snore, or suffer from sleep apnea often have more nightmares than usual.
Other factors
Sometimes we go to bed to sleep with some factor that prevents us from resting correctly, deeply, and calmly. For example, the noise of a car alarm, the sound of the fan, the noise of a party at the neighbors’ house, or the cry of a child. All these aspects influence the deepest part of sleep and can cause a nightmare related to them. For example, you can dream that your son does not stop crying, and you do not have a son; it is the cry of the neighbor’s son that has made you dream that.
Other causes of recurring nightmares
- Alcohol, drug, or tobacco withdrawal.
- Alcoholism.
- Consumption of medicines.
- Eat before you sleep.
- Suspension of the intake of sleeping pills.
- Narcolepsy
Tips to avoid nightmares
Fight bad emotions
Combat stress, anxiety, nerves, and depression by exercising in the afternoons after leaving work. This will allow you to be more relaxed at night, increase endorphins and help you be in a good mood when you get home after a long day, will enable you to sleep soundly, and help your health considerably. A 40-minute walk is more than enough!
Seek help
If you think that your nightmares are the product of a traumatic event in your life or of a change you are going through. If you do not know how to deal with it, then do not be afraid to seek help from a psychologist to find the necessary tools that allow you to overcome this stage and be more potent than such adversity.
just relax
Using relaxation techniques before bed can be of great help in reducing nightmares. Try a guided meditation or listen to some relaxing music like the sound of rain or ocean waves before bed.
Disconnect
Make it a point to leave work at the office and not take the next day’s worries and responsibilities home. It is essential to learn to separate the two spaces and give each of them the attention they need at the right time.
Sleep hygiene
Try always to sleep simultaneously, do not look at your cell phone before sleeping, and turn off the television and lights. Wake up at the same time every day.
Less is more
Cut back on alcohol, caffeine, and other stimulants for a better and deeper sleep.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Why I have so many nightmares, we recommend that you enter our Mental Disorders category .
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.