Bad dreams are quite common and can scare any person of any age. They typically occur during the rapid eye movement (REM) phase and can cause an immediate awakening with a clear memory of their contents. Nightmares can feel vivid, real, and cause anxiety, palpitations, or sweats; you can easily remember the details and have a hard time letting go. Although bad dreams are harmless, if you don't go to a doctor to look into the problem, they can lead to sleep disturbances over time. however, you can forget them and go back to sleep by distracting your mind with other thoughts or activities and implementing relaxation techniques.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Distracting the Mind with Other Thoughts and Activities
Step 1. Distract yourself
A bad dream can leave strong images in the mind that are difficult to forget. If you've had a nightmare and can't forget it, find ways to divert your thoughts. You can get out of bed for a few minutes; Consider looking at relaxing images of a beach or mountains, which you can find in a meditation and rest application you downloaded to an electronic device.
- Get out of the room for a while and sit or relax in a quiet place; turn on a soft light that can help you feel better. Read, watch a funny TV show, or listen to quiet music, all of which can take your attention away from the nightmare.
- Pamper a pet to calm you down and help you forget the dream; you can also talk to him. For example, pat your kitty and say, "Hi Felix, would you like to be pampered a little? You're a really good kitty; listening to your purr makes me happy."
- Download an application that promotes sleep or meditation; these programs often have soothing music and visuals that take your mind off your feet and can calm you down.
Step 2. Review the bad dream
Cognitive reframing is a technique that allows you to reconsider the situation and modify its various aspects. Replace the most terrible parts of the dream with positive images; analyze the plot from another point of view with different and happy images to try to forget the scariest details, so you can relax and go back to sleep.
- Evaluate how many times you can forget your dreams by changing and diverting your thoughts; nightmare reframing helps you forget it just as quickly as other dreams.
- Edit the storyline as soon as you wake up; remove anything that has upset you by thinking about it or even writing it in a diary to keep by the bed. This is a particularly useful method because writing is closely related to remembering.
- Replace the bad elements of the dream with something positive and cheerful; for example, if you dreamed of a whale that made the boat capsize, say to yourself or write: "A huge whale swam beside us and guided us to a tropical paradise".
- Avoid giving meaning to dreams. Remember that these are just brain function products and have nothing to do with you or your future. Don't give meanings and don't try to interpret them; if you want to consider and analyze them, do it later when you feel more comfortable.
Step 3. Turn on some night lights
A soft lamp can offer you comfort in the dark of night. Turn on the light or a small lamp near the bed as soon as you wake up from a bad dream; this can relax you and allow you to reorient yourself in your environment.
- Choose a light of a relaxing color, which does not stimulate the awakening of the brain; shades in red, orange or yellow are the best choices.
- Place the lamp near the bed, so you can easily turn it on when you wake up from a nightmare.
Step 4. Ignore the clock
If you have one near your bed or in your room, turn it off to look forward to it; observing the passage of time can increase the physical and emotional discomfort due to the bad dream; ignoring the clock instead, you can forget it more easily and go back to sleep faster.
Step 5. Keep some fresh scents in the room
What you smell can have a positive effect on mood and dreams. If you wake up from a nightmare, put some fresh flowers or aromatherapy oil next to the bed. this can help you calm your thoughts, relax and fall asleep again. You can consider the following perfumes:
- Coconut;
- Jasmine;
- Lavender;
- Marjoram;
- Mint;
- Pink;
- Vanilla.
Step 6. Do some grounding exercises
They can help you reduce anxiety and calm you down after a scary event. If you feel restless after a bad dream, you can do such exercises to feel better; most of these involve all five senses. A simple one you can do is to quote or write the name of:
- Five objects that you can see in the room: it could be the clock, a painting, the cat, a lamp and the dresser;
- Four things you perceive: for example, the blanket on the skin, the pillow, the air conditioning on the face and the cat's fur;
- Three things you hear: it could be a passing car, the purring cat, and the noise of the fan;
- Two things you smell: for example the lotion on your arms and the scent of the cool rain that you hear coming through the window;
- One thing you like about yourself or another person appreciates about you: You may find that you are kind to others.
Part 2 of 3: Go back to sleep
Step 1. Contract and relax your muscles to fall asleep
A bad dream could wake you up suddenly, creating a shock to the body that leads to an increase in heart rate. Use the progressive muscle relaxation technique by contracting and relaxing each muscle group to normalize the heart rhythm and try to fall back asleep. Focusing on exercise is another way to take your mind off.
Contract and relax each muscle group starting with the toes and ending with the head; contract the muscle for 10 seconds and then release it for the same duration. Take a deep breath between each muscle group to relax even more
Step 2. Meditate to calm down and fall asleep
The nightmare can lead to tachycardia and speed up breathing, increasing anxiety. Take a few minutes to meditate and normalize your pulse in this way, return to normal breathing, get rid of anxiety and increase relaxation. This allows you not only to settle down, but also to get rid of the lingering memories of the bad dream.
- Breathe naturally without controlling movement to relax and bring your heart rate back to normal faster; let thoughts come and go; this can calm you down and make you forget the bad dream.
- If you have trouble meditating, just repeat "let go" with each inhale and "go" every time you exhale.
Step 3. Get rid of constricting bedding
Bad dreams can cause many physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating. Removing everything that is physically limiting you can help you calm down, lower your heart rate, and make you fall asleep more easily.
- Only remove the underwear to feel fresh and comfortable; cover just enough to avoid the chills and feel safe. As your body temperature rises, it can be more difficult to doze off.
- Change the sheets if you have them wet with sweat from the nightmare; it is another way to forget it, relax and go back to sleep.
Part 3 of 3: Preventing Nightmares
Step 1. Recognize the causes of the bad dream
There can be many factors responsible for bad dreams or recurring nightmares; limiting exposure can reduce the frequency of such episodes and make them less fearful. Among the most common causes are:
- Stress;
- Trauma;
- Sleep deprivation
- Taking medications, such as antidepressants or blood pressure
- Substance abuse;
- Read a scary book or watch a horror movie.
Step 2. Maintain a consistent sleep routine
Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day can help you fall back asleep when you wake up in the middle of the night. Also, keeping a steady regimen allows you to keep nightmares at bay and control sleep deprivation, which can be responsible for bad dreams.
To avoid developing any sleep disorders, you should sleep between 8 and 9 hours each night
Step 3. Write your dreams in a journal
Such a diary can help you pinpoint the source of nightmares. If you wake up because of a bad dream, write it down right away; mark any factors that may have made it worse, such as stress, alcohol consumption, or some playful activity performed before bedtime. Pay attention if you notice repetitive patterns over time.
Keep a notebook near your bed, so you can write down the dream as soon as you wake up; eventually, you can also use a small tape recorder if you find it too difficult to write
Step 4. Implement the "bedtime ritual"
The brain and body need time to go into "sleep mode". If you set up a routine before bedtime, you send a signal to both of you that it's time to relax, allowing you to doze off and avoid bad dreams.
- Avoid electronic devices, such as a television or computer, to reduce the anxiety that could result from images potentially responsible for a nightmare.
- You can read an undemanding story in a dim light, drink herbal tea, or take a hot bath to relax.
- Avoid or limit the consumption of alcohol and drugs, as they can cause bad dreams and alter the normal sleep cycle; by reducing or giving up these substances altogether you can control or even prevent nightmares and sleep better.
Step 5. Limit your stress
Emotional pressure and anxiety are the main causes of bad dreams in adults. If you can reduce your stress, you can avoid nightmares, relax and promote good, restful sleep.
- Stay away from stressful situations as much as possible; take a short walk to calm down when you find yourself in the middle of an environment that creates anxiety.
- Relieves tension and anxiety by doing at least half an hour of physical activity for about 4-5 days a week; exercise helps you sleep better and has beneficial effects on mood, thus preventing nightmares as well.
Step 6. Go to the doctor
Nightmares may seem harmless, but they actually affect mood and body functions by disturbing the vitally important rest. If you don't find anything that can stop your bad dreams and the ability to fall asleep, you need to go to the doctor. A health professional can identify the cause of the problem, treat it and help you with the difficulties resulting from lack of rest; they may also decide to refer you to a sleep disorder specialist.
- Show the doctor your dream diary, if you have kept it; that way, he can better understand the problem and find the cause of your nightmares.
- Answer any questions he asks you about dreams, sleep habits, or other lifestyle choices that may be affecting your problem.
- Note that your doctor may recommend that you see a sleep disorder specialist or mental health doctor; they may also prescribe medications to relieve anxiety or help you sleep.
