A nightmare or two once in a while is not something to worry about, but when this is constant it shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Sleep expert and assistant professor of clinical medicine at Keck School of Medicine of USC, Dr Raj Dasgupta, describes nightmares “as unsettling dreams usually associated with feelings of anxiety or fear that awakens you from sleep and sometimes include abnormal movements, behaviors, emotions or perceptions.”
Besides the unsettling emotions and fear that some nightmares may cause, they may lead to detrimental consequences for our health.
This is because our bodies need proper, undisturbed sleep not only to rest our bodies, but for our bodies to repair some its cells.
Patient centered medical organisation with healthcare facilities Johns Hopkins shares research data that shows sleep may “promote the removal of waste products from brain cells something that seems to occur less efficiently when the brain is awake.”
With common causes of nightmares being factors such as stress, anxiety, withdrawal, eating right before bed, illness and many other societal factors, nightmares can be treated, shares leading source for evidence based, medically reviewed sleep health information centre, Sleep Foundation.
The above-mentioned information source suggests therapy to fix problems related to nightmares. Below are some therapy treatments to try if nightmares keep you awake at night.
Psychotherapy For Nightmare Triggers – psychotherapy involves using techniques that may aid a person feel recognise and address nightmare triggers.
Imagery Rehearsal Therapy for Nightmares – is the kind therapy with focus on remodeling the plot of recurring nightmares, getting them to not cause any disturbance.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing – this therapy is conducted with the aim to help an individual process harmful memories in an awake state by stimulating the areas in the brain that are active during REM sleep.
Hypnosis – therapist induces a state of intense concentration in which a person can try to work through their nightmare trigger.
Also see: Tips to protect your sleep (and your sanity) this festive season
