Waking up in a sweat from a frightening dream and needing a moment to realize that it was only a dream. Nightmares: both children and adults suffer from them from time to time. When they occur sporadically, nightmares can do no harm.

Women are more likely to suffer from them than men. But this can also be explained by the fact that women talk about them more quickly and easily.

Chronic nightmares can be a cause of insomnia. Those who regularly have nightmares also experience stress and fear of going to sleep. This can affect daytime functioning and lead to psychological and physical consequences.

Fortunately, there is good news: you can remedy nightmares. Crucial in this is trying to find the cause and daring to talk about your bad dreams with others or possibly with a therapist.

We dream every night, although we often can't remember those dreams in the morning. It's different with nightmares. Usually you are startled awake and remember very well what it was about and especially how you feel: fearful, powerless, helpless, vulnerable, etc.

Typical nightmare stories include car chases, someone close to you dying, etc. At the climax of the nightmare you start to wake up and remember what you dreamt.

Nightmares take place during REM sleep. REM stands for "rapid eye movement. This is a stage of sleep that is also called paradoxical sleep: e body is at rest, while your brain is very active. Because it made such an impression, you remember what you dreamt.

Different from a nightmare is a nocturnal panic attack. People with a nocturnal panic attack wake up at the deepest point of sleep screaming and moving wildly.

Many people with nightmares wonder about their meaning. Dreams effectively often have a link to what you experience during the day. After all, in our sleep we process events and feelings we have during the day.

Also during a nightmare you process emotions and difficulties you are having. Children have to process a lot of stimuli in a short time, which immediately explains why children have more scary dreams than adults.

Stress and fear

Nightmares are often linked to stress. When you are under high pressure and have to perform, this can translate into restless dreams. Fear of not doing well or of failure can also cause nightmares.

Trauma

People who have experienced trauma and suffer from PTSD (post-traumatic stress) may also experience recurring nightmares.

Nightmares during pregnancy

Pregnant women are more likely to experience nightmares because of the drastic event that awaits them. Fear of childbirth, of having a child, ... can cause nightmares. It is suspected that it may also have something to do with the hormone fluctuations, but there is insufficient scientific evidence for this.

Vicious circle

Nightmares can lead to sleeping problems, but bad and restless sleep can also contribute to bad dreams. Therefore, be sure to try to work on your sleep hygiene so that you calm down before bed. This will have a positive effect on your dreams.

Prevent nightmares? It can be done! A crucial factor is good sleep hygiene and getting enough rest before bedtime:

1. For example, it is better to read a book than to look at screens that emit blue light.
2. Relax with a warm bath or shower.
3. Listen to soothing music.
4. Provide a quiet, dark sleeping area with a comfortable temperature.
5. Avoid coffee and alcohol before bed.

In addition, it is also very important to dare to talk about your nightmares. Tell others about them. In case of trauma it is also advisable to consult a therapist. Usually cognitive behavioral therapy helps in reducing nightmares. 

In this context, it can help to think during the day about a good ending for your nightmare. That way, you put a positive spin on what scares you at night.

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