6 Unexpected Causes of Nightmares and How to Prevent Them

We all know what a nightmare is. The bothersome, terrifying, and dysfunctional dreams can have a profoundly pervasive effect on our emotions, ripping us out of sleep. 

 

Believe it or not, adult nightmares are rather rare; they’re a lot more common in kids. Adult nightmares can be caused by a variety of rather unexpected habits, as well as medications or underlying health conditions. We go through the 6 most common causes of bad dreams and how to remedy them. 

 

Alcohol

Drinking a few glasses of wine may make you sleepy, so you may believe that having a night out with drinks will only help your sleep. In reality, alcohol affects our sleep in a more complicated manner - at first, it will help you sleep deeper, but when blood alcohol levels start dropping, they make you a lighter sleeper. 

 

Additionally, alcohol may increase the time of rapid eye movement sleep (REM). During this sleep cycle, vivid dreams and nightmares are much likelier. This way, consuming alcohol can contribute to nightmares.  

 

The solution: Avoid drinking too much alcohol - keep the quantity to a glass or two of wine or one strong drink. In addition, make sure to wait at least 3-4 hours before going to bed.  

 

Late-evening snacks

Digestion is hard work for the body, and this can clash with your body’s resting cycles. “This is because your body will be working hard to break down food and will send signals to your brain to be more active, which may trigger nightmares,” said Phil Lawlor, a sleep expert, to the Huffington Post. 

 

Any type of snack can lead to nightmares, but spicy and sweet foods have a higher risk of causing sleep problems. The same types of foods are also more likely to contribute to acid reflux, which can also interrupt your sleep.  

 

The solution: If you can, avoid eating 2-3 hours before bed. But if you’re a habitual evening snacker, keep nighttime snacks small and choose foods and drinks known to promote sleep, such as chamomile tea, turkey, chicken, or a handful of nuts and seeds.  

 

Stress and anxiety

Traumatic life events - both serious ones like a bad day at work or a major one like a car accident - increase your stress levels and promote worries, which often seep into your dreams too, provoking night terrors. The fear and stress may feel so overwhelming that you end up having nightmares. 

 

This falls in line with scientific observations stating that people suffering from anxiety and persistent stress are predisposed to nightmare disorder, a condition where nightmares “happen often, cause distress, disrupt sleep, cause problems with daytime functioning or create fear of going to sleep,” according to the Mayo Clinic. 

 

The solution: The good news is that these types of bad dreams tend to go away. Avoid scary or stress-inducing content before going to sleep. This means no scary books, horror movies, or news. 

 

To reduce dress levels right before bed, dedicate the time before bed (or any other free time available) to relax. Take a relaxing bath, a walk, meditate, listen to relaxing music, or do light yoga. 

 

Medications and nutritional supplements

Although scientists aren’t exactly sure how medications can cause nightmares, it’s not uncommon for drugs like antidepressants, blood pressure medications, Parkinson’s disease medications, beta-blockers, and medications used to help people quit smoking can all make you have more bad dreams. If you take melatonin to fall asleep, be mindful that this supplement can also trigger night terrors. 

 

The solution: When it comes to medications and supplements, things can get tricky, as you may need these medications to manage your health. Therefore, it’s safest to discuss your concerns with your doctor and ask if you have any alternatives that wouldn’t trigger nightmares.  

 

Mental health conditions

Nightmares are a known symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD sufferers frequently experience vibrant nightmares in which they relive the traumatic events that cause the condition. But patients who suffer from other mental health disorders, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety are more likely to have bad dreams as well. 

 

The solution: Treating the mental health disorder is the best way to make the nightmares go away too. Also, remember that sleep deprivation itself can lead to nightmares. Try and get enough sleep, and the bad dreams may become less frequent or go away altogether. 

 

Sleeping on the back  

Sleeping on your back has many advantages: fewer wrinkles and less back pain, to name just a few. Unfortunately, this sleeping position also has some disadvantages, among which is a higher chance of bad dreams. Research suggests that back sleepers are more likely to experience breathing difficulties, which can cause nightmares of suffocating, being chased, or drowning. 

 

The solution: Try changing your sleeping position. Experts recommend sleeping on your right side. It’s fine if you change sleep positions during the night, but try to sleep on the right side as often as you can. 

 

Here are a few more tips to help you cope with a nightmare: 

 

1. Recognize the nightmare and stop it. 

When you’re having an unpleasant dream, look around at any mirrors or clocks. In a dream, they often look strange. You can also try to pinch your nose or scratch your skin. If you can’t feel anything, you’re dreaming. 

 

Once you recognize that you’re dreaming, you can wake yourself up. Alternatively, you can try and change the ending of your dream on your own. 

 

2. Start a dream journal. 

A dream diary can help you understand how your dreams are influencing you. Keep the journal on your bedside table, and write down all of your dreams - both good and bad - first thing in the morning. You can keep track of your total sleep time. Review the journal from time to time and try to understand why they’re causing you discomfort. 

 

When should you see a doctor? The occasional nightmare is no cause for concern, but recurrent night terrors can be a symptom of Nightmare Disorder or even an underlying brain condition, such as Alzheimer’s disease. See your doctor if you’re experiencing any of the following signs: 

 

1. You experience nightmares more than once a week. 

2. The bad dreams upset your mood, sleep, or day-to-day activities. 

3. You started having nightmares once you started a new medication.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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If You’re Lactose Intolerant, Avoid These 15 Foods

Milk is one of the many elements of the food pyramid that make up a healthy diet. However, despite the many health benefits, consuming milk in large quantities can cause migraines, and for some, have more harmful effects. Lactose intolerance, an allergy to milk and milk-based ingredients, is one of the eighth most common allergies in the world. For people with this particular allergy, dairy is a product best avoided, as it can cause varying degrees of stress to the body. If you’re on a dairy-free diet, here are some foods you might want to double-check the ingredients for, as you probably wouldn’t expect them to have dairy!  

 

1. All Beef Hot Dogs

With a name that includes the phrase “all-beef”, you probably wouldn’t expect it, but many hot dog brands do use milk ingredients to create their products. 

 

2. Tomato Sauce

While the main ingredient in tomato sauce is tomatoes, various brands of tomato sauce feature grated Romano cheese as one of the main ingredients. 

 

3. Canned Pasta in Tomato Sauce

Speaking of tomato sauce, many canned pastas that are purchased as quick meals for the kids also have trace amounts of cheese or milk products for added nutritional value. 

 

4. Store-bought crackers

Most store-bought crackers contain either butter or milk powder, so if you’re looking for a dairy-free option, your best bet is organic crackers.  

 

5. Instant Potatoes

The best way to get your mashed potatoes creamy and smooth is with a dash of milk and it's no different for instant mashed potatoes. Always check the ingredients, as some instant potatoes contain cream or other milk products to add to the taste. 

 

6. Potato Chips

Here’s another potato product, but milk isn’t a common ingredient for it, usually. While milk would seem like an obvious ingredient for Cheddar flavored chips, you probably wouldn’t expect to see it in flavors such as dill pickle, jalapeno, and barbecue.  

 

7. Chicken Nuggets, Fish sticks, and other frozen foods

Most frozen foods, especially breaded items, such as fish sticks and chicken nuggets, contain milk ingredients (usually in the breading mixture) along with the usual spices and meat.  

 

8. Vinaigrette and other salad dressings

It’s important to check the ingredients of salad dressing before purchasing, as some brands may use different forms of cheese, or other milk products in the ingredients.  

 

9. Nutella

Nutella is a chocolate-like spread, made up of cocoa, hazelnut, palm oil, and sugar, along with skim milk, or skim milk powder, as well as whey powder.  

 

10. Canned Tuna

For those who think Tuna is a dairy-free product, think again and check the ingredients for casein. Casein is a protein derived from skim milk and is sometimes added to canned tuna to increase the nutritional value.  

 

11. Soy Cheese

This does not sound like something that should contain dairy. Normal soy cheese may contain casein or whey protein, both of which are dairy products, so look for a vegan label to ensure your soy cheese is dairy-free.  

 

12. Granola Bars

These breakfast bars and quick snacks usually contain only grains and nuts, with a sweetener like honey to solidify the bar. However, some granola bars contain small amounts of milk to add to the calcium and protein content of the bars.  

 

13. Baby Cereals

Rice or oats based cereals are sometimes recommended by doctors for babies switching to eating solid foods. Much like granola bars, some brands add skim milk powder for extra calcium and protein.  

 

14. Spice Mixes

Here’s a revelation for all people with lactose intolerance. Some spice mixes may contain whey powder, for increased protein content. 

 

15. Medications

There is a plethora of vitamins, pills, prescription and over the counter medications available today that most likely contain lactose. Dairy accounts for the base of approximately 25% of the most commonly used medications, so if you’re looking for a lactose-free medication, its advisable to check for alternatives with your doctor.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement