Why We Have Nightmares and How to Avoid Them

Most people experience bad dreams here and there. But when a bad dream is so disturbing that you wake up, it has officially moved into nightmare territory. By definition, nightmares are distressing dreams that cause you to rouse out of sleep. So you can have a bad dream that isn’t necessarily a nightmare.

Kids are actually more prone to nightmares than adults. Approximately half of children between the ages of three and six experience this particular sleep disruption, but by the age of 10, most only have them periodically.

In adults, occasional nightmares are common. However, about 2 to 8 percent of people have what’s known as nightmare disorder, where they occur frequently. The problem is, apart from waking up feeling stressed, anxious, and disoriented, this sleep issue is associated with sleep problems like poor quality slumber, daytime drowsiness, and difficulty drifting off – all of which negatively impact a person’s waking hours.

“Not all people who have frequent nightmares are necessarily distressed by them. Some people find their nightmares interesting, insightful, or entertaining somewhat like horror films,” says Dr. Deirdre Barrett, a dream researcher at Harvard and author of The Committee of Sleep and Pandemic Dreams. “However, many people with non-PTSD linked nightmares are negatively affected by them and 100% of those with PTSD nightmares are. Nightmares can cause significant emotional distress, leading to feelings of fear, anxiety, or helplessness upon waking. This emotional residue can linger throughout the day, affecting mood and mental focus. If repeated frequently, this can interfere with falling asleep and the quality of sleep. Recurring PTSD nightmares have an especially pronounced effect, making the dreamer feel as if the trauma has just happened anew.”

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So, what causes nightmares in the first place? Is this type of troubled sleep different from night terrors? And can people who suffer from nightmare disorder do anything to keep them at bay?

Here’s why we have nightmares and how to avoid them.

What Causes Nightmares

Nightmares typically occur during the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage, which makes sense because this is when dreaming most often happens. And they’re most likely to happen in the last third of the night, when REM sleep intervals lengthen.

So what causes a dream to morph into a nightmare? A handful of factors can be to blame, including stress, anxiety, mental health conditions, certain medications that impact sleep, like antidepressants, and post-traumatic stress disorder. In fact, about 80 percent of people with PTSD experience frequent nightmares.

But there are other causes, too. For example, a late-night snack, which jumpstarts the body’s metabolism can send a message to the brain to become more active. Withdrawal from certain medications or alcohol can also trigger nightmares, as well as sleep deprivation and certain sleep disorders like restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea.

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Read more: The Science of Dreaming

Nightmares vs Nighterrors

While they’re often mixed up or used interchangeably, nightmares and night terrors are two very different sleep phenomena. Unlike nightmares, which normally take place in the morning hours during REM sleep, night terrors typically happen in the first half of the night.

The other distinction is night terrors are often paired with screaming, talking, flailing limbs, rapid heart rate, and sweating. And, in most cases, people who experience a night terror don’t remember it has happened.

However, similar to nightmares, the sleep issue is most common during childhood. According to one study that followed 1,940 children from ages 18 months to 13, at 18 months, 34.4 percent experienced night terrors, but by age 5, that number had dropped to 13.4 percent. And by 13 years old, only 5.3 percent experienced this sleep disturbance. When it comes to adults, only about one to two percent report having night terrors.

How to Keep Nightmares From Occurring

While there’s nothing you can do to guarantee you won’t have a nightmare, there are steps you can take to lower the chances one will occur.

Develop a relaxing bedtime routine. A nighttime ritual that you look forward to each night will help your body let go of underlying stress. Include soothing wind-down activities like meditation, bedtime yoga, a warm bath, aroma therapy, journaling, or listening to calming music.

Create an optimal sleep environment. Like a nightly routine, ensuring your bedroom is set up for deep slumber will help ease the body and the mind. To create the optimal environment for restful sleep, set the thermostat to a cool temperature, choose dimmable, warm lighting, invest in black-out curtains, and ensure you have soft, breathable bedding.
Try Interpreting Your Nightmares: If you experience non-trauma-related nightmares, attempting to understand what messages your mind or body may be trying to tell you can help them from recurring. For example, says Dr. Barrett, “What is a tsunami? A tiger? A whirlpool? What are teeth? Different dreamers would say “you’d starve if you didn’t have them” “you can bite people with them” or “A beautiful smile makes us sexy—I’d look awful without my teeth. Each of these implies a different metaphoric concern.”

Limit alcohol and food before bed. Ideally, you should avoid eating or drinking alcohol two to three hours before bed. When it comes to food, too close to bedtime and your digestive system starts, which is an active process and can keep your body awake, or cause restless sleep. For alcohol’s part, it disrupts the REM sleep cycle, making you more prone to poor sleep quality and nightmares.

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Read more: How Food and Alcohol Affect Sleep

Try to reduce daytime stress. Because stress can be a trigger, using methods to lower anxiety and worrying, like meditation, breathing exercises, and talk therapy, can lessen your risk of having a nightmare.
Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT): This technique is especially helpful for those who suffer from PTSD nightmares and who are especially distressed by them. IRT involves visualizing the disturbing dream and altering the ending or other elements to create a positive outcome, says Dr. Barrett. “For example, if you’re being chased, think of whether you’d rather have someone rescue you, turn and vanquish the pursuer, ask them why they’re chasing you, or fly off to a more pleasing dream locale.”

Of course, if you do wake up from a nightmare, there are also things you can do to calm the nervous system so you can get back to sleep. Some of the techniques Dr. Barrett suggests include:

Progressive muscle relaxation: tensing, then relaxing each muscle group in your body, starting with the feet and moving upward

Deep abdominal breathing: placing a hand on your stomach, breathing deeply through your nose, and feeling your belly rise; slowly exhaling through your mouth

Safe-place imagery: Picturing people, places, or objects you find soothing

She adds, “Nightmare sufferers with PTSD will find some of these same techniques helpful for dealing with daytime symptoms such as intrusive flashbacks to the trauma, heightened startle responses, and generalized anxiety.”

When to See a Doctor

If frequent nightmares are causing severe sleep deprivation, you’re having trouble drifting off because of anxiety about sleep, or they’re affecting your ability to function normally during the day, it may be time to see a therapist or sleep specialist.

Talking to a doctor could help you determine the underlying reasons you’re having regular nightmares so they aren’t causing so much disruption. And while medication isn’t a common treatment, if you’re suffering from PTSD-related nightmares, it may be something your doctor recommends.

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Read more: How to Combat Sleep Anxiety

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Meredith is a freelance writer specializing in wellness, sustainability, and the outdoors. When she's not writing or brainstorming new content, you can find her barefoot in her backyard, cooking up a new recipe, and spending time with her husband, her beagle, and her cat.