Why is It So Easy to Go Back to a Nightmare
- Two sleep experts gave us the lowdown on why we get nightmares in the first place and how we can prevent them.
- So many things can cause a bad dream, from medications and supplements to your diet.
- Experts recommend simply recognizing that you're in a dream and that it's not real can help calmly and safely wake you out of it.
If you've ever woken up from a deep sleep in the middle of a terrifying nightmare, you know just how scary (and realistic!) it can feel. But nightmares are surprisingly common, even if they seem to come out of nowhere and — quite literally — create a sleepless night for you.
INSIDER spoke to a wellness expert and a licensed therapist to find out what causes nightmares, how you can safely wake up from them, and their expert tips on how to quickly get back to sleep.
First, the difference between a bad dream and a nightmare is largely in the level of intensity.
According to Jessica Tappana, the founder and clinical director of Aspire Counseling in Columbia, MO, "A bad dream may mean something you don't like happens in the dream. A nightmare is more intense than a bad dream. A nightmare elicits a sense of fear and panic causing a person to wake up in a state of panic, fear or otherwise feeling shaken."
As for the difference between a nightmare and a night terror, it's mostly about how much you remember after waking.
According to Caleb Backe, a health and wellness expert for Maple Holistics , there are a few important distinctions to make.
"The primary difference between nightmares and night terrors is in the consciousness and recollection of the sufferer," Backe told INSIDER. "A nightmare can often be easily recalled, particularly shortly after waking, and is also recognized as a nightmare upon waking if not during the nightmare itself. Night terrors, on the other hand, are characterized as chaotic, non-lucid bouts of fear during which the sufferer in question is not mentally conscious or aware of what is going on."
Most often, it's children that have night terrors, according to Tappana.
"A nightmare leaves you awake and you are often able to recall the scary dream whereas with a night terror is typically associated with children screaming and seeming to have a bad dream which they may not ever fully wake up from and may not remember," Tappana said.
There are a lot of reasons you could be having bad dreams, and none of them involve that horror movie on Netflix you decided to watch before bed.
"Nightmares can come from certain medications or supplements (often things you may even take to help you sleep, such as melatonin), from the internal stress you've experienced throughout the day or may seem to have no known cause at all," Tappana said.
Backe agreed, adding that your late-night snack habit might also be to blame.
"Nightmares are generally caused by a form of real-life stress or subconscious fear that manifests itself in a nightmare," Backe said. "Biologically speaking, people can be more likely to experience a nightmare if they snack late at night, causing more brain activity before bed, or if they take certain mentally-stimulating medications."
What are the physical symptoms of a nightmare?
According to Backe, bad dreams put your body into a heightened physical state, whether you're awake to realize it or not.
"Fever and intense sweating manifest as a result of the often stressful feelings and experiences associated with nightmares," Backe said. "The body is reacting as it would to a highly stressful situation because that is what the brain believes it is experiencing. Additionally, heavy fatigue is a symptom of nightmares due to the lack of quality sleep experienced by someone who suffers frequent nightmares."
Tappana said she's had clients report shortness of breath, too.
Whether your bad dreams are recurring, meaning they're plaguing you on more than one occasion, or just a one-off, how can we safely and calmly wake up from one, without losing the rest of a decent night's sleep?
According to Backe, it's about bringing awareness back to your thoughts, no matter how terrifying it might feel in the moment.
"The key to waking up from a bad dream is in recognizing that you are in a bad dream. For many, nightmares feel completely real up until the point of waking," Backe said. "If you can't recognize that you are dreaming, you won't be able to manipulate your body into waking."
"In order to recognize that you are in a dream, you need to test your circumstances and surroundings," he added."This is only likely to occur to someone who thinks about dreaming often when conscious, as they will then be likely to think about dreaming while they are in a dream, and thus be more likely to be suspicious of their unrealistic surroundings."
What happens if you find yourself 'stuck' in a bad dream, unable to rouse from it?
"For many people, the adrenaline and excitement experienced upon realizing that they are dreaming is enough to wake them," Backe said. "However, if this is not the case and you are 'stuck' in a bad dream, doing something particularly jarring — for example, jumping off of a cliff in your dream should do the trick."
After you wake up from the nightmare, you might understandably find it hard to fall back asleep peacefully.
Our experts both had different tips for lulling your body back into the slumber it needs. "Do not use your phone. The more mental stimulation you receive, the more difficult it will be to relax into a healthy sleep," Backe said.
Both Tappana and Backe note how important it is to relax your body, with Backe suggesting that you "focus on lying still and relaxing one muscle group or body part at a time. Tossing and turning only promotes distraction and sleep difficulty — by sticking to one position and relaxing within it, you will be more likely to fall asleep faster."
They also both recommend using the bathroom, with Backe saying, "If your nightmare was particularly jarring and you're having a lot of difficulty falling back to sleep, taking a quick walk to use the bathroom and back can relieve stress and trick your body into thinking it's sleep time all over again, as most people use the bathroom before they fall asleep for the night."
We asked our pros if there are any tips for preventing future nightmares, whether recurring or brand-spanking new ones.
Both emphasized regular relaxation practices and meditation before bed , with Backe stressing the importance of good sleep hygiene.
"Exhaustion, fatigue, non-specific stress and becoming overworked are all potential causes of bad dreams," he said. "By regulating your sleeping schedule and finding ways to minimize stress in your day-to-day life, you can make it much less likely that you will experience nightmares."
Also, you might want to keep note of your sleep patterns. According to Backe, "People can be more or less inclined to experience nightmares during specific times. Take note of when your bad dreams occur — if, for example, you experience nightmares during your Saturday afternoon naps, try napping at a different time!"
Lastly, Backe recommends that you "address the subject matter of your nightmares." "If your bad dream is about a particular experience, fear or person, addressing that issue in real life is your best bet for ensuring that you stop dreaming about it," he said."Sometimes all it takes is putting an upcoming [anxiety-inducing] experience in the rearview mirror — if you're dreaming about an upcoming exam or performance review, for example."
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Source: https://www.insider.com/can-you-wake-up-from-a-dream-on-purpose-2018-4
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