Daily challenge - October 17 - 2018

A Bad Dream Is More Than Just A Dream: The Science Of Nightmares

The jolt of fear and terror felt as we run for our lives to escape danger quickly eases us back into consciousness in bed to help us flee the dreamscape. Nightmares tend to creep in and out at night in our lifetime, primarily during childhood, but why do they happen in the first place? Do we ever outgrow bad dreams?

Why Nightmares Happen

Nightmares can be vivid and frightening detailed images that can leave us in a state of panic and fear after we wake up. Most young children experience nightmares, with an estimated 10 percent to 50 percent between the ages of 5 and 12 years having nightmares severe enough to disturb their parents, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). Childrens nightmares may stem from listening to a scary story, TV show or movie, or even feeling anxious and stressed during the day from starting school to a death in the family. Typically, most kids will grow out of them, but what happens to adults?

Only two to eight percent of the adult population is plagued by nightmares, says the AASM, which involves some of the same triggers seen in childrens nightmares. Professional dream analyst stresses the importance of understanding that dreaming is actually a thinking process; a continuation of our thoughts stream from the day. The nightmare is when we are thinking about difficult issues during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and trying to sort them out. We often try to ignore our difficult issues with distractions during the day but when we are asleep and are forced to be alone in our own heads.

Unresolved conflict is not the only causation of nightmares, poor eating habits can also contribute to the frequency of these terror episodes. People can have nightmares after having a late-night snack. Eating meals or snacks that are high in carbohydrates in the late hours of the night can increase brain activity and body metabolism.

Nightmares in adults can be spontaneous, but are generally triggered by psychological factors like anxiety and depression, and the result of poor nutrition. Moreover, sleep disorders including sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome can cause people to experience chronic, recurrent nightmares. What happens to the brain when these factors contribute to the onset of nightmares?

For more information about nightmares please click here.

What are some of the things that you are doing to get more healthy sleep?

One of the things I did was buy the HappyLight which I learned from the Sleep doctor this also helps with depression and eyes also.

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