Most of us have experienced nightmares at one time or another. They’re very common in children and particularly between the ages of three and four and seven and eight and still about 5-10% adults get them once a month. You’ll normally have your nightmare during the second half of the night when you’re REM dream sleep.

Suddenly you’ll be woken up by a particularly harrowing episode or just before you’re shpt or pushed over the cliff, for instance. You’ll be scared, anxious, and very alert and will probably be able to recall your nightmare in great detail. Then you’ll trouble getting back to sleep.

They’re different from night terror. Which suddenly appear out of deep non-dreaming sleep and normally happen in the first half of the night. In a night terror, you’ll sit up suddenly and scream, but you probably won’t wake up even though, rather scarify for your bed partner, your eyes might be wide open. You might sweat and your heart rare could shoot up three times its normal rate and much higher than with nightmares.

Amazingly, you’ll probably have no memory of it in the mornings. Even if you are woken up when you’re having a night terror, you won’t be able to recall what happened. Although studies have shown non REM dreams are repetitive and thought like, with little imagery.

Action Plan To Counter Strike
After you’ve had a nightmare, write down any factors that may have contributed to the bed dream. What did you eat yesterday? Did you have any alcohol? Are you stressed? Did you go to bed at a different time from usual? Did you watch a scary film? Are you ill or are you taking medication? All these factors can influence what you dream about.

Fatty and spicy food as well as cheers is thought to increase the chance of nightmares. Stress is also a common trigger whether it’s work, financial difficulties, moving house, relationship problems, bereavement or even pregnancy. Drinking and medication increase the risk too. The same factors influence night terrors particularly stress and being overtired.

you find what‘s causing the nightmares or night terrors, deal with the trigger. That said, it’s not always as easy giving up cheese before bedtime and avoiding late night horror films. Sometimes you won’t know the cause. With nightmares, talking through them even drawing images from them can be help. With night terror, talking often doesn’t help because you can’t remember the content. If they’re really severe and happen often, talk to your doctor about medication such as tranquillizer.

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