Have you experienced nightmares while sleeping?
Sleep is highly necessary for any person to lead a normal and healthy life. Bitter fact is that there are some people who sleep well and there are others who sleep poorly due to certain reasons. Sometimes, while sleeping in the REM or rapid eye movement stage, we could get nightmares. It is worthy to mention that nightmares are a series of frightening dreams that would disturb the sleep of a person. Not only the old persons, but also the young persons can get nightmares.
Various important reasons why we get nightmares during sleeping are
Stress and anxiety:
Stress and anxiety are responsible for nightmares in many people for three days. It is important to note that when the mind is full of negative thoughts and worries etc then sleep would get disturbed and we could get frightening dreams etc. The cortisol released during stress could increase the chances of getting nightmares.
Trauma:
Nightmares are common in those with trauma and PTSD or post traumatic stress disorder. Trauma would disturb the peaceful sleep of a person and can lead to dreams triggering past memories.
Medications:
Nightmares can also be possible in a person due to some medications also. Medicines like antidepressants, beta blockers etc can cause nightmares in some persons. Point is that these medications could impact the neurotransmitters in the brain.
Substance abuse:
Intake of alcohol, drugs and some medications like sleeping pills etc can cause nightmares in some persons. The brain`s ability to regulate REM sleep could be impacted by these substances.This would result in nightmares etc.
Changes in sleep pattern:
Jet lag or shift work etc can lead to changes in the sleep pattern and this can also cause nightmares in us. Body`s natural circadian rhythm would get disrupted by jet lag or shift work etc and this would lead to nightmares.
Certain foods:
There are also chances that by eating certain foods we can get nightmares. When we eat very heavy food right before bedtime then it could lead to indigestion and then to nightmares etc also.
Medical conditions:
Nightmares can also be caused by certain medical conditions like AD, Parkinson`s Disease, epilepsy etc.