“The scariest monsters are the one that lurk within our souls…” (Edgar Allan Poe)
Dreams have many types including the nightmare.
For sure, nightmares are common among all of us; we did experience these at least once. Unpleasant as they may be, but nightmares are actually a necessary part of dreaming.
While other enjoyable dreams are stimulated by wishes and desires, the nightmare is a manifestation of human’s negative feelings like anxiety and stress. Like dreams, nightmares are not as straightforward as they seem. That’s why we need to get nightmare interpretations to get deeper information on the meaning of the dream.
Psychologists usually define a nightmare as a terrify dream, since it not only covers the subjects you experienced in the real life but also adds frightening elements from your imagination, such as vampires, the apocalypse, etc.
Research shows that nightmares often fall into two categories: post-traumatic nightmares and garden-variety nightmares.
Table of Contents
What is Nightmare?
For a very long time, the dream has always been an unknown which causes headache on all the scientists around the world. It comes and goes without following any specifically logical order of humans.
You may start the dream through a scene of a fun party, but suddenly, you could be plunged into a dangerous chase.
Till now, no one enables to answer these phenomena; however, the sure thing is – the dream analysts know exactly the relation between nightmares and dreams.
According to them, dreams can be entertaining, disturbing, and downright bizarre at the same time. When being affected by ‘different’ dreams, we may become freakier, crazier. A nightmare is a deeply upsetting dream of particular intensity caused by strong feelings of fear, distress, and honor within a person.
Anyone can dream while sleeping, and obviously, there are several times we experience nightmares. The disturbing dreams are vividly realistic and often rattle you awake from a deep sleep. You may find your body sweating and your heart pounding from fear.
Do you know the underlying meanings of your terrified nightmares?
If understanding the nightmares and their meanings, you will gain a new perspective on your mental state, according to the studies of dreams. Nightmares tend to occur during rapid eye movement sleep (REM), especially in the early morning hours.
Most children experience nightmares, some even nightly but they usually outgrow these terrify dreams. About 5-10% of adults have nightmares once a month or more frequently.
We all dream, at least once, even if we have no idea what just happened last night in the next day.
Interestingly, do you know what element changes your dream?
People rarely know, but magnetic field is the major reason making humans’ dreams become weird. You might be having fun with friends, all of sudden, you could be attacked by…aliens or giant insects – of course, everything is just in a dream.
Why We Have Nightmares?
What cause nightmares? Why nightmares happen to us?
People are told – if they have to cope with stress or any difficulty in real life almost everyday, then they usually dream bad dreams.
Nightmares are related to either to physiological causes (a high fever, for instance) or to psychological ones (unusual trauma, stress, etc.)
According to dream theorists, the nightmare is a form of subconscious emotional regulation which allows you to express the anxieties that you experience, but do not address, in your waking hours.
The nightmares that are related to real life trauma or anxiety fall under the post-traumatic nightmare category. This type is an indication of a fear that needs to be acknowledged and confronted. Nightmares also reflect frightening elements from our imagination or are spurred by watching TV, reading books, or even playing games.
Fearfulness in waking life is, in some ways, correlated with the incidence of nightmares.
Recent studies state that adults who have frequent terrify dreams tend to be more sensitive, emotional, and open than others who don’t.
Effects of having recurring nightmares
In fact, a nightmare is a way to relieve our pressures of the day and help us face real life stress. Some scientists speculate that nightmares can purge the brain of memories or the associations which trigger fear.
Most common nightmare theme
Some identified and reported common themes in nightmares include situations relating to one’s life matters, such as being chased, sexual experiences, falling, death, teeth falling out, flying, having car accidents, and so on.
Young adults and those who lack sleep are often subject to nightmares.
The way to interpret the nightmare meaning
You are advised to think carefully about each element in the dream.
After waking up, think about how you felt in the nightmare. In case you have recurring nightmares, ask yourself: “Which night do I have nightmares and is there anything I can realize that’s been different in my day?”
Put all the associated clues together and you will easily figure out what the dream is trying to tell you.
Truths about Nightmares You Need to Know
Nightmares (or bad dreams) are the special phenomena which commonly occur in both children and adults. There are a variety of theories about why we experience nightmares, but they are often caused by: stress (conflict or fear), trauma, emotional problems, medication or drug use, and illness.
When you have a recurring nightmare, bear in mind your subconscious may want to tell you something. If you continue to have it, talk to a qualified mental counselor. You will figure out the cause and receive tips to deal with the problems easily.
No matter how serious your nightmare is, it is not real and won’t happen to you in the real life.
Some researchers state that dreams have no purpose or meaning as well as are nonsensical activities of the sleeping brain, while others say this phenomenon are essential for mental, emotional, and physical health.
Research has given evidences proving the importance of dreams to an individual’s health and well-being.
It’s believed to exist to:
- Helping to solve problem in your life
- Processing your emotions and feelings
- Incorporating all the memories
Both dream and nightmare can reflect your own underlying thoughts and feelings – the deepest fears, concerns, and desires.
What are major causes attributed to nightmares?
There are a number of possibilities…they can occur from stress, alcohol, spicy foods, drugs, and bad diets. Nightmares of early childhood seem to reflect the struggle to deal with normal childhood fears and problems.
Many people, after they suffered a traumatic event (a severe accident, the loss of a loved one, etc.), also experience nightmares.
Sometimes, the nightmare may occur over and over – it’s caused by repressed feelings in one’s waking life, such as financial concerns, career, relationships, etc. Only when your ongoing issue is addressed in reality, the recurring nightmare will stop.
Sleep deprivation
Sleep deprivation is one of the main causes of nightmares.
Working, feeling stressed or depressed are the reasons leading to your lack of sleep. If you’re suffering from this issue, we recommend you to consult your doctor. Also, ‘sleep apnea’ and ‘restless leg syndrome’ can contribute to nightmares.
Drugs
Drugs are very dangerous for humans in many ways. If you habitually take drugs, you will be more prone to night terrors. Drug addicts will experience the nightmare until the addiction diminishes.
Psychological
People who suffer from depression are likely to experience nightmares.
Night snacks
You may not believe but what you ate before going to bed would cause a nightmare. When you eat food in high protein or sugar, the chance to experience night terrors is heightened. Why?
Your body will burn energy at a fast rate which can increase metabolism and signal the brain to be more active. Those foods are the reason making your dreams more vivid.
How to stop nightmares?
By understanding the underlining factors that cause your nightmares, you can somewhat get the picture of your recent state. To avoid being interrupted during the sleep, you’re advised to start thinking about the nightmare as well as examine your lifestyle.
Has there been a build up of stress lately?
Analyzing what your nightmares mean will help figuring out the situations in life that you need to tackle. Once things have been solved, nightmares will cease right away.
Don’t think that nightmares indicate something negative. In fact, it provides hints assisting you in dealing with issues in present.
What are the Most Common Nightmares?
You may mistake between nightmares and night terrors.
Though both cause people to awake in great fear, they are quite different:
- Night terrors typically occur during the first hours or two of sleep – loud screaming or thrashing is common. The dreamers find it hard to awaken and just remember an overwhelming feeling or a single scene.
- Nightmares, on the other hand, occur after several hours of sleep – screaming or moving is uncommon. The dream is intense and elaborate, and the dreamers can realize that they just have had a dream.
A person’s dreams can be vivid, since they bring him mix emotions – happy, sad, anxious, or scared. Dreams may seem confusing or perfectly rational. They often occur during sleep, the REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, when the brain is most active.
A study of dreams has pointed out that a person normally dreams at least 4-6 times every night, and last longer as the night progresses; the final REM period is estimated to last about 45 minutes.
Let’s take a look at some commonly nightmares, and what they are believed to represent:
#1: Falling
You have a fear of losing control.
Everyone has gone through this nightmare; seeming like you are fallen, lost balance, or slipped when moving. This dream is caused by a shift in blood pressure as you fall into unconsciousness.
A ‘falling’ nightmare interpretation means you’re worried and confused about something unclear. You feel like your life is out of control or a loss of emotional balance.
#2: Being chased
You feel unsure about yourself. Being chased in dream means you’re chasing a part of yourself deep inside.
The modern interpretations suggest that this nightmare is a metaphor of insecurity: either yourself or your circumstances. Also, you are feeling threatened by your own worries or angry (jealous) toward someone or something.
#3: Tooth loss
You are truly worried.
This dream has a very common theme possessing several possible meanings. Loosing teeth represents self-consciousness about either age or appearance, or it may indicate the fear of losing face.
Those who grind their teeth or have sensitive teeth are more likely to experience this nightmare. In case you have a toothache and dream about losing teeth, it seems to be a ‘back-of-your-mind’ worry.
#4: Being lost
You feel a sense of being lost.
The bad dream here occurs when you are uncertain of what you want or how to make a choice. Normally, you find yourself stand in a strange place and have no idea of how to get back to the familiar.
You will have this nightmare when you start a new career, change another living place, or begin making friends with people.
By getting dream and nightmare interpretations, you are able to gain insights into your life and your true self. While dreaming, you could come up with some unique ideas, so dreams are considered as a conduit of creativity.
Do You Often Get Bad Dreams?
People of all age and gender detest awaking with the seriously spiritual damage from bad dreams or nightmares.
How do you feel when awaking up with the horrifying experience by snakes, flames, or zombies? It is very hateful and unbearable, right?
Beside the annoying impact, the frequent and repeated bad dreams can eventually prevent you from having a good sleep and healthy life. Therefore, at your earliest convenience, it is advised to trace the roots of some inevitable nightmares at night.
Let’s clear away all of fear, jitters, and anxiety to sleep well as ever!
To move forwards smoothly in the bumpy life road, you need to be healthy in both physical health and the mental one. No guys can keep their head clear and grounded when being damaged by the series of terrifying images most of the nighttime.
For the benefits of stopping the horrifying things creeping into your sleep, it is notified the 3 most reasons leading to bad dreams as follow.
#1 Reason: Stress Explosion and Excessive Anxiety
Bearing in mind that we often dream of things that envelop our mind in the morning!
Thus, if your daily life in covered by tons of traumatic events or anxious situations, you’re likely to dream badly at night.
It is studied that the series of bad experience in life such as the painful loss of the loved ones, or the witness of accidents or assault can trigger the nightmares to occur vividly. More influentially, the post-traumatic stress disorder can also cause the sufferers to sleep with the bad imaginary scenes.
In most cases, the stress and anxiety from various scopes of life (love, business, finance, health, etc.) drive people to dream obnoxiously. Thus, get your stress relieved before it is exploded by talking and sharing with the ones whom you believe or willing to listen to.
Ask the so-called psychics to interpret your bad dreams is the good recommendation!
#2 Reason: Inadequate Food and Drink
Believing that what you eat and drink can influence the things you dream of!
Informatively, eating spicy food before bed will increase the frequency of witnessing bad dreams. On the spicy nights, the eaters with elevated body temperatures have tendency to sleep with the series of disgusting images. In addition, eating some certain kinds of high-fat food can also prompt nightmares unexpectedly.
Thus, try not to eat inadequately when you’re about to sleep. Let your nighttime rest be fulfilled with books or music rather than food.
Along with that, drinking alcohol and drugs can cause nightmares with the short sleep. While alcohol leaves you with the disruptive reoccurrences, the side effect of drugs increases the incident of bad dreams. Hence, ask your doctor carefully before consume any substance!
It is lucky to know that nightmares will leave off once the drug is cleared from your body system.
#3 Reason: Experience of being ill
With some signs of illness like flu, the patients are most likely to dream annoyingly. The unhealthy status drives them to suffer sleeping disorders that increase the impact of bad dreams.
Therefore, take yourself to doctors to eliminate the nightmares for the best recovery.
Final Words
Dreams are basically stories and images created by the unconscious in our mind while we sleep. Having a nightmare during the nightly sleep is the least expected thing of most people; yet, you all have experienced that scary feeling.
According to German dream analysts, like other ordinary dreams, nightmares reflect humans’ emotions, sentiment, and current state; additionally, they bring on the anxiety, fear, as well as panic of an individual.
The unreal scenes allow you to take a glimpse on your thoughts and in mist feelings so that you can easily realize your own mental condition. Nightmares may be a coincident combination of the unconscious areas in a person’s brain, but people believe that they could have deep meanings.
We recommend you to get deeper nightmare interpretations to gain clear insights into your dream, especially the recurring nightmares.
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