Destructive Dreaming: How Negative Dreams Come and How to Stop Them

Introduction

Dreams are the usual brain activity that we experience during our sleep in our lifetime. According to many reports and studies about sleeping, many people tend to have three to five dreams per sleep session. However, most of those dreams are rarely remembered by the said person, as they are most immediate in duration. But the time spent dreaming can last as long as the person’s sleep duration.

Unfortunately, not all people tend to have good dreams while sleeping, as some may experience nightmares instead. The negative counterpart of dreams can be a horrible experience for the one who has experienced it.

How do nightmares manifest in one’s sleep? Are there ways to stop or prevent it from happening again and again?

Common Causes of Nightmares

When it comes to determining the common causes of nightmares, there are several. According to the Mayo Clinic, listed below are some of the known and documented common causes of nightmares in one’s sleep cycle:

1. Trauma -

Trauma occurs when a person has recently experienced an event in their lives that has resulted in an injury, accident, abuse (either physical or sexual), accidents, or any event that has caused them extreme trauma. Additionally, individuals who have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) will have a high chance of experiencing nightmares during their sleep.

2. Stress and Anxiety -

When a person is overwhelmed by this negative emotion, there is a high chance that they will experience nightmares. Various events can contribute to someone’s stress and anxiety, such as major life events and everyday life stress.

3. Sleep Deprivation -

If a person is experiencing a lack of proper sleep that will result in irregular sleeping, they are at high risk of having nightmares on their next sleeping session. People who have insomnia are also at increased risk of experiencing nightmares during sleep.

4. Usage of Medications -

Some medication drugs (both over-the-counter and prescribed drugs) may cause nightmares as a side effect when consumed improperly. Those said drugs that can cause nightmares are the following: antidepressants, beta-blockers, drugs meant for treating Parkinson’s disease or smoking habits, and blood pressure medications.

5. Abuse of Various Substances -

People with a history of various substance abuse such as alcohol and recreational drugs are at high risk of experiencing nightmares. Additionally, people also suffering from withdrawal symptoms are also at risk of having nightmares.

6. Other Types of Disorders -

Having nightmares during sleep is also highly possible for people suffering from depression and other health disorders that severely affect their mental health. Some other conditions can also contribute to having nightmares such as sleeping disorders, heart problems, and cancer.

7. Scary Multimedia Materials -

Some people can trigger a nightmare experience by simply consuming multimedia materials like books and movies that are scary in nature, especially before going to sleep.

Do take note that many doctors around the world consider nightmares as a type of sleep disorder named “parasomnia,” namely undesirable activity during one’s sleep, which usually occurs in the stage of sleep called Rapid Eye Movement (REM). Unfortunately, the exact root source of why people are experiencing nightmares is currently unknown to modern medicine.

Some zodiac signs are much more likely to have nightmares compared to others. These include Aquarius, Capricorn, Pisces and Scorpio. Scorpio, in fact, usually has the worst nightmares of the lot because the sign is ruled by the god of the underworld, Pluto. Aquarius, on the other hand, often dream of bizarre themes because they are ruled by Uranus, an unpredictable planet. Capricorn, ruled by the god of karma Saturn, often dreams of what is eating at their guilty conscience. Lastly, Pisces end up distorting reality into the worst possible outcome in their nightmares because of Neptune.

In addition, the Moon has a significant impact on what happens in your nightmares, affecting your hidden self by manipulating your dreams. Whatever House the Moon is in, depending on what zodiac sign you have, can shape your nocturnal adventures. The stronger the connection to the moon, the more vivid your dreams (and nightmares) can be. In Vedic Astrology, the ruler of dreams Rahu causes people to experience dreams by making relations with the moon.

Are There Noticeable Symptoms of Nightmares?

Like any other kind of sickness, disorder, or disease, nightmares have their own set of symptoms that one can be aware of. Listed below are the known symptoms:

The dream plot is strongly about your safety and survival. However, there are some instances of other very disturbing and graphic themes.
There are chances that the dream itself awakens you abruptly.
After dreaming, you feel either of the following: disgusted, scared, sad, anxious, or angry.
You are experiencing rapid heartbeats while on the bed or are sweating abnormally.gry.
After waking up, you can clearly recall the said dream and all of the details it had.
You are unable to sleep easily due to the distress the previous dream brought upon you.

Is There a Specific Treatment for Nightmares?

When it comes to the treatment of nightmares, there is no specific form of it yet, as many medical experts globally see that specialized treatment isn’t needed. It will be only needed if the nightmares keep recurring and are severely hampering the daily life of an affected individual. Listed below are some of the common treatment methods used for a recurring nightmare disorder:

1 Medical Treatment -

only done if an underlying medical condition causes the nightmare

2 Stress/Anxiety Treatment -

involves stress and anxiety-reducing treatments if the source of nightmares is due to either (or both) stress and anxiety.

3 Image Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) -

for people with PTSD, this treatment is used by changing the ending of the recurring nightmare by rehearsing it while awake via therapy sessions.

4 Medications -

not to be confused with the first treatment method. This is only used when the case of nightmares is severe due to PTSD.

4 Medical Treatment -