A recent report led in Hong Kong states that roughly one of each and every 20 people detailed enough 2010 study conducted in Hong Kong states that approximately one of every 20 individuals reported experiencing nightmares at least once a week.
However, Dr. Michael Nadorff, Associate Professor of Psychology at Mississippi State University and President-Elect of the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine says it’s important to note that not all individuals who have nightmares remember them. Nadorff explains that the majority of dreams are actually negative, but most of them come and go without being remembered.
Here’s what Nadorff has to say about nightmares, as well as how to prevent them, or at least how to keep yourself from remembering them.
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What causes nightmares?
Nadorff, who specializes in nightmares, says everyone has negative dreams, but not everyone remembers them. “You don’t usually remember them unless you wake up during them,” he explains. According to Nadorff, waking up from REM sleep, when dreams occur, is the only way to remember a nightmare.
Waking up from REM sleep is not bad for you, according to Nadorff. In fact, people wake up more frequently than they may realize during the night. A full sleep cycle takes roughly 90 to 110 minutes, and REM is the last stage of sleep, after which people typically wake up. About these nighttime awakenings, Nadorff says, “We kind of look around, make sure the house isn’t on fire and then fall back asleep, and if that happens within about five minutes, you’ll never remember it happening.”
While nightmares can be scary, Nadorff explains that they can be a sign that your brain is adequately taking care of itself. Experiencing nightmares within a month of trauma is actually healthy, according to Nadorff, who says nightmares can act as exposure therapy. “If it’s in the first month after trauma, that’s actually normal and healthy,” he explains.
Recurring nightmares, especially those that wake you up in the middle of the night, can be frustrating to experience. Many details about dreaming are not known beyond a doubt, but Nadorff has a take on why people are awoken by recurring nightmares. “I think it’s actually an avoidance behavior,” he says. “Think of an awakening as an avoidance of a negative dream, but in doing so, you also remember that you had the dream.”
A man in pajamas lying in bed, with his hands to his head and eyes open.
How to avoid nightmares
To avoid waking up from and remembering potentially troubling nightmares, Nadorff has a few recommendations.
The most important step is establishing a normal sleep routine. “Having a bedtime and a wake time that is roughly the same every day does wonders,” Nadorff says.
He also says temperature can play a factor in waking up from REM sleep, which could cause you to remember a nightmare. He explains, “REM sleep is one of the few times your body is unable to control its own body temperature, so your body temperature drops while you're in REM sleep.” He continues, “What used to feel warm and cozy now feels hot and sweaty because of your body temperature in relation to the room around you.” Potential solutions to this include sleeping with fewer blankets or setting your air conditioning to make your room a little colder at night.
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Nadorff adds that drinking liquids too late in the night can also make it more likely for you to remember your nightmares. If you are in REM sleep when your body wakes you up, you are more likely to remember a negative dream you were having.
For those with persistent nightmares who have tried these basic recommendations to no avail, Nadorff recommends a treatment called image rehearsal therapy.
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What is image rehearsal therapy?
Image rehearsal therapy is actually quite simple. When patients are experiencing frequent nightmares, Nadorff says he recommends they rehearse a dream they would like to have. “We have them write a new dream out,” he explains, “and we have them practice that new dream, visualizing it as vividly as possible, about twice a day for five to ten minutes each time.”
Nadorff says visualizing an alternative dream in this way can trick the brain into thinking its content is significant. He says, “If you have something that’s very vivid that happens more than once in a day . . . the brain thinks, ‘This must have been pretty important. I’d better store this.’” Later on, when someone enters REM sleep, Nadorff explains their memory of the image rehearsal will be one of the memories that the brain will be likely to encode. “That’s why people will often report having that dream they’ve been practicing,” he concludes. entering bad dreams no less than one time per week.
Nonetheless, Dr. Michael Nadorff, Academic administrator of Brain research at Mississippi State College and President-Elect of the General public of Social Rest Medication, says it's critical to take note of that not all people who have bad dreams recall them. Nadorff makes sense that most dreams are really negative, however, the majority of them travel every which way without being recalled.
This is the very thing that Nadorff needs to say regarding bad dreams, as well as how to forestall them, or if nothing else how to hold yourself back from recalling them.
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What causes bad dreams?
Nadorff, who represents considerable authority in bad dreams, says everybody has negative dreams, however not every person recalls them. "You don't generally recall them except if you awaken during them," he makes sense of. As indicated by Nadorff, awakening from REM rest, when dreams happen, is the best way to recollect a bad dream.
Awakening from REM rest isn't terrible for you, as per Nadorff. Truth be told, individuals awaken more often than they might understand during the evening. A full rest cycle takes approximately 90 to 110 minutes, and REM is the last phase of rest, after which individuals ordinarily awaken. About these evening time renewals, Nadorff says, "We sort of glance around, ensure the house isn't ablaze and afterward fall back sleeping, and assuming that occurs inside around five minutes, you won't ever recall it working out."
While bad dreams can be startling, Nadorff makes sense of that they can be an indication that your cerebrum is satisfactorily dealing with itself. Encountering bad dreams in the span of a month of injury is really sound, as per Nadorff, who says bad dreams can go about as openness treatment. "Assuming it's in the principal month after injury, that is really typical and solid," he makes sense of.
Repeating bad dreams, particularly those that wake you up around midnight, can be baffling to encounter. Many insights concerning dreaming are not known without question, however Nadorff has an interpretation of why individuals are awoken by repeating bad dreams. "I believe it's really an aversion conduct," he says. "Consider an enlivening an evasion of a negative dream, yet in doing as such, you likewise recollect that you had the fantasy."
A man in a night robe lying in bed, with his hands on his head and eyes open.
Instructions to stay away from bad dreams
To abstain from awakening from and recalling possibly upsetting bad dreams, Nadorff has a couple of suggestions.
The main step is laying out an ordinary rest schedule. "Having a sleep time and a wake time that is generally similar consistently does ponders," Nadorff says.
He likewise says temperature can play a component in awakening from REM rest, which could make you recall a bad dream. He makes sense of, "REM rest is one of only a handful of exceptional times your body can't handle its own internal heat level, so your internal heat level drops while you're in REM rest." He proceeds, "What used to feel warm and comfortable now feels hot and sweat-soaked in light of your internal heat level corresponding to the room around you." Expected answers for this incorporate laying down with less covers or setting your cooling to make your room somewhat colder around evening time.
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Nadorff adds that drinking fluids past the point of no return in the night can likewise make it almost certain for you to recollect your bad dreams. On the off chance that you are in REM rest when your body awakens you, you are bound to recall a negative dream you were having.
For those with constant bad dreams who have attempted these fundamental proposals without much of any result, Nadorff suggests a treatment called picture practice treatment.
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What is picture practice treatment?
Picture practice treatment is quite basic. At the point when patients are encountering continuous bad dreams, Nadorff says he suggests they practice a fantasy they might want to have. "We have them work another fantasy out," he makes sense of, "and we have them practice that new dream, picturing it as distinctively as could be expected, about two times every day for five to ten minutes each time."
Nadorff says imagining an elective dream in this manner can fool the cerebrum into believing its substance is huge. According to him, "On the off chance that you have something extremely distinctive that happens at least a time or two in a day . . . the mind thinks, 'This probably been really significant. I would be wise to store this.'" Later on, when somebody enters REM rest, Nadorff makes sense of their memory of the picture practice will be one of the recollections that the mind will probably encode. "That is the reason individuals will frequently report having that fantasy they've been rehearsing," he finishes up.
Content Source - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2022/12/17/why-people-have-nightmares/10836183002/
