2023-06-27 17:39:36
Dreams can be an intense nocturnal experience. But how are nightmares and the processing of what you have experienced during the day connected? What is behind it when we wake up drenched in sweat from a nightmare? A psychologist explains.
Sleep should actually be a time of rest and relaxation. This often leads to a fascinating journey into the subconscious: we dream.
But while dreams are often full of fantasy and longing, the night sometimes has its darker side. From sudden falls to inexplicable car chases, nightmares cast dark shadows on our dreamscape. Affected people wake up bathed in sweat and with palpitations, the eerie scenarios haunt them for days. What is behind this is revealed by psychologist Dr. Hanne Horvath.
When is a dream a nightmare?
Dr. Hanne Horvath: Nightmares are dreams with threatening or unpleasant content that we can still clearly remember after waking up. They trigger strong feelings in us, such as fear, tension or inner restlessness. The content and stories that we dream often do not follow the rules of our reality, and so our dreams can amuse us, amaze us, but also frighten us.
Even though we dream during all phases of sleep, nightmares mostly occur in the second half of the night. In this sleep phase we are in what is known as REM sleep (rapid eye movement sleep). This sleep phase is characterized by the fact that we wake up easily and can easily remember what we dreamed.
Why do we have such dreams? Are there certain triggers for this, does our brain process something from reality with it?
In dreams we reflect on our experiences, observations and thoughts of the day. It can happen that dream images represent feelings that we may not even be aware of. An example of this would be dreaming of being followed when in real life I am feeling pressured and stressed. Everyday stress and nervousness can be causes of restless sleep and nightmares, but personality can also play a role here.
According to studies, sensitive and creative people are more often afflicted by nightmares. Nightmares can also be caused by mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety disorders. In addition, the fear of being alone or of the dark can increase nighttime tension. Sleep disorders, such as waking up at night, can also contribute to our increased ability to remember nightmares.
Creative people more prone to nightmares
Are there people who are particularly prone to nightmares? Children more than adults, women more than men, certain professional groups?
As I said, particularly creative but also emotionally unstable people are considered to be prone to nightmares. People with anxiety and depression are also more likely to experience nightmares, as many take medications such as antidepressants, which in turn can contribute to nightmares.
The situation is similar for older people, who generally report more frequent unpleasant dreams, not least as a side effect of drugs that are used, for example, to treat high blood pressure, Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s.
There are also post-traumatic nightmares, which can occur as a consequence of a traumatic event. Post-traumatic nightmares are characterized by the fact that the contents of the trauma are repeated in the dream. They reflect alienated fears from their own everyday life.
Such fears can arise from personal crises, excessive stress, fear of job loss or illness, overwork in the family or caring for a relative. Traumas that have been experienced such as traffic accidents, sexual assaults or serious illnesses can also be a cause of these nightmares.
Nightmares: when to worry
Many people have constant nightmares while they sleep. Is this normal, when to worry?
Dreaming is a natural part of human experience and, accordingly, nightmares are part of sleep. Occasional nightmares can even have a positive effect on our psyche as they allow us to process negative experiences of the day during the night.
While nightmares can frighten us and make us feel exhausted and insecure in the morning, they cannot harm us. It’s comparable to watching a movie. Movies can scare us too, but we know they aren’t real.
The difference is that we can choose to watch a horror movie or not. Nightmares, on the other hand, attack us at night and we can’t do anything about them at first. The nagging fear of nightmares can also be related to fear of losing control and feelings of helplessness. However, anyone who constantly suffers from nightmares and can therefore no longer find any peace at night should take measures that promote a peaceful and restful sleep.
Also read: Light, semi-dark, dark? This is the ideal prerequisite for good sleep
Conscious handling of emotions
Is there anything you can do before bed or in everyday life to prevent a nightmare from hitting you?
Research suggests that it is possible to reduce nightmares by engaging with them throughout the day and allowing the uncomfortable feelings associated with them.
In concrete terms, this means that we analyze the content of the nightmare step by step, write it down and then intensively imagine the course of the dream again. This can cause the scary dream to gradually lose its fright and we become emotionally involved with the themes of the dream.
Particularly traumatic nightmares often continue to affect us the next day or even for several days. How to deal with it?
Basically, we should remember that nightmares are something completely normal and do not pose any danger to our health. The so-called Imagery Rehearsal Technique (IRT) can help reduce the fear of our nightmares. For this we first write down the last nightmare with all its details. If it’s a particularly disturbing nightmare, it’s best to start with a less intense nightmare to learn the technique first.
For this nightmare, we’re rewriting the script and coming up with an alternative storyline with a more pleasant ending. This step also offers an opportunity to regain a sense of control. It’s a good idea to take a few minutes each day and read the new script over and over again. If we try to visualize everything as vividly and vividly as possible, the nightmare can lose its emotional horror over time.
Therapy for nightmares
Are there any therapies that help with nightmares?
For those who suffer from recurring nightmares, the first place to start is to reduce stress, and relaxation exercises, meditation, and mindfulness exercises can help.
Another way to reduce nightmares is to practice good sleep hygiene. Research shows that some people have more nightmares when eating late at night, as it increases metabolism and can negatively impact sleep.
Others react with nightmares to disturbing television content. Therefore, it is important to be aware of which activities before bed lead to better sleep and which are more disruptive.
To person:
Dr. Hanne Horvath is a PhD psychologist and founder of HelloBetter, a startup for digital psychotherapy. As Vice President Business Development & Services at HelloBetter, she is responsible, among other things, for cooperation with health insurance companies and the psychological support of the HelloBetter training courses.
Updated 4/10/2023 2:42 p.m
Getting enough sleep is important for health. Not only how long you sleep, but also when you go to bed should play a decisive role. That’s the conclusion of a new study from Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. (Image credit: imago/Artem Varnitsin)
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