What can I do about bad dreams/nightmares??

Question

I have been struggling with a little bit of insomnia and I just recently have finally been able to fall asleep easier. However, I can't stop having bad dreams, so the sleep that I am getting is not very effective. I feel somewhat exhausted when I wake up from my heart pounding all night! Every dream I have is either a night terror/night mare or just a really bad dream. What can I do to stop the madness?!

Answer 1

I am in 100% agreement with everyone who has weighed in..

There are a few relaxation techniques that you can do before going to bed.  First off, try to get everything off of your mind.  

Soak in a warm bath by candlelight.  

Keep the lights dimmed throughout your home.

Put on one of those relaxation CDs and drink a cup of hot chamomile tea.

Our dreams have a source cause.  Something is troubling you in the daytime as well, leading up to your apprehension.

I taught my young son to cry out "Jesus HELP!"  Having someone in the dream on your side can turn the tide -  then force yourself to wake up.  But this thing needs to be conquered.  Try to unveil the one striking terror.  Empower yourself in your dream.  Proceed with a boldness instead of allowing yourself to be the victim.  Its not easy, but it can be done.  

Your mind might be trying to project a real fear that has come to the forefront.  Take extra precaution in real life.  Don't walk alone in the darkness.  Hold your keys with one protruding from your fingers to strike if necessary.  Pay attention during the day, to any area where you feel anxious.  This will probably be the root cause.

But back to the dream... we are often problem solving, and can wake up with the solution.  Write everything down in a journal or notebook.  Keep it on your bed, ready to flip a lightswitch and immediately begin writing.  Read back over your entries after a couple of days, and pay close attention to anything that ties together.  Even the smallest detail can have a significant meaning.  

And finally, I cling to - repeating over and over - the scripture that says...

What Time I Am Afraid I Will Trust In Thee...

and, "I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me!"

Answer 2

Dreams are the result of our subconsious.  Is there something in your daily life that has you stressed?  Do you hate your job?  Is a family member ill?  Many times these night terrors are a result of an outside stress.  First, start to keep a dream journal.  Each time you wake up in the middle of the night, or in the morning take 5 min. to jot down what it is you dreamed about.  If you can, do this before you go to the bathroom or get up as dreams fade quickly after you wake (even if you think you will remember most of it, you will loose valuable information such as colors etc.).  Write down your dream with as much detail as possible, colors, people (if you do not know them describe them) objects etc.  From there in your wakeing day you may be able to see a similarity to something in your daily life.  For example, someone who just went through the tragic loss of a loved one, may find that a certain color keeps resurfacing in their dreams... sometimes this is the color of the flowers on the grave or even the color of the shirt the relative was buried in.  If you continue to have these issues, you should consult your doctor.  It is possible that on top of these night terrors and nightmares (there is a huge difference) that you may suffer from something like Sleep Apnea as well.  People with such disorders are at a greater risk of heart attack because of the raceing heartbeat in sleep.  If you feel that this is something that is affecting your daily performance (and you had mentioned wakeing up feeling tired) a doctor may be able to help you find the source of your issues.  I had horrible night mares for a long time.  I had dreams of horrible things happening at work (I worked at a vets office) with animals attacking, co workers going nuts etc.  Once I left the job the dreams slowly went away.  Mine was easier to figgure out, but then it is hard to say that it is the job (because we all need to work) causing it.  Whatever the cause of your terrible nights, over time it will cause damage to not only your mental state but your physical state too.  Many people seem to think that this is something that is "normal" and try to assume that it will go away on its own.  This can be a very serious problem over time.  I wish you the best.

Answer 3

well its ur dream...u can make it wutever u want it to be....its all i n ur mind gurl.....next time u have a nightmare.....confront it head on....battle wutever it is untill its dead or make tha dream turn out for u in tha end....dats wut i do nd it rlly works....gud nite....nd hope i helped

Answer 4

Bad dreams or nightmares basically reflect your fear in waking life.  

In order to control it, you need to find the root cause of it. The bad dreams may give you some clue.  Then, you will have to fight it in your waking life. Once you overcome the problem, you may be able to sleep better.

For example, if you have bad dreams about people following you all the time. That may symbolize insecurity and non-trust.  Then you may have to find out the reason you feel insecure, you may need to talk to people more and find someone you trust to share out your problem.

Sometimes, we dream to vent out our fear, and in day time, we probably have nowhere to vent out, and we go to our dreams to do so.  

In your case, you should look at your dreams and see what it is trying to tell you and work on it from there to your daily life and perhaps, they will go away if you know what exactly what triggered the bad dream.

Answer 5

Check your diet. If you have changed your diet recently then that could be what triggered the scary dreams also if you have started taking a new medication or changed your daily routine. I don't know how it affects your dreams but it does.

Hope this helps x

Answer 6

its probly stress,

just calm down.

You panicing is making it worse.

You probably have some unresolved issues in real life that need to be taken care of.

A nightmare is a manifestation of concious complications.

When u wake up write down the events that took place,

90% of your dream is lost within 10 minutes of waking up

Answer 7

Nightmares can be a learning experience. They can tell you what's wrong...usually, you feel powerless in real life.

I am guessing that even if you have a hectic life, the feeling of powerlessness is exacerbated by your inability to fall asleep. Try drinking valerian root tea around 9pm, and that should help you fall asleep. This will help subdue the nightmares.

If not, shoot me a message of what your nightmares are about.

Answer 8

well i don't know if you eat food right before you go to sleep but, i heard if you do that causes nightmares.