For some people, some drugs, alcohol, drugs, lack of sleep, high fever or anxiety sometimes lead to nightmares. But generally speaking, nightmares may also be caused by emotional problems in life, changes that dominate life (such as moving), painful experiences, stress in exercise or study, even if what happens in dreams seems to have nothing to do with real life. Here are six possible causes of nightmares:
1, anxiety and stress
Anxiety and stress are usually caused by external trauma in life, and sometimes they become nightmares and nightmares. According to a study by the International Sleep Research Association (IASD), major surgery or illness, grief of losing loved ones, encounter or witness attacks, accidents, etc. , will lead to nightmares and nightmares. Post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) is usually a common cause of nightmare recurrence.
However, not all nightmares are caused by external trauma, and daily stress can also cause people to have nightmares all night, such as: work or economic troubles; Changes in life, such as moving or divorce.
2. Spicy food
Food and meal time will also affect our rest at night.
A small report in the International Journal of Psychophysiology tested a group of healthy men, asked them to eat spicy food before going to bed at some nights, and compared their sleep quality with those who didn't eat spicy food.
The results show that when they eat spicy food, they stay awake longer and have poor sleep quality at night. The reason is: spicy food will raise the temperature of the human body, which will disturb sleep. This reason can also explain why some people say that they have nightmares when they eat too much before going to bed.
Although few studies have paid attention to this point, eating before going to bed will enhance metabolism and brain activity, and then stimulate nightmares or nightmares.
3. Foods with high fat content
Although there is no final conclusion, some studies show that the more high-fat foods you eat during the day, the greater the impact on sleep quality.
A study in Psychological Report in 2007 found that people who eat more organic food (that is, 100% natural ingredients) have completely different dreams from those who eat more junk food! The author concludes that some foods may have a negative effect on dreams.
4. alcohol
Although alcohol, like a sedative, will help you fall asleep in a short time, once the sedative effect fails, it will make you wake up prematurely.
Excessive drinking can also cause nightmares and poor sleep quality. For abstainers, nightmares often occur.
5. medicine
Some drugs, including antidepressants, barbiturates and anesthetics, have the side effect of "letting nightmares come to you automatically".
According to the report of Psychopharmacology in 2008, the study of ketamine, which has been used in anesthesia and health care, shows that ketamine can cause more unhappiness in dreams and double the probability of nightmares compared with placebo.
In the same way, anyone who has been to a rural area with frequent malaria and eaten mefloquine will have some related nightmares afterwards. Usually after the drug fails, the nightmare will disappear.
6. illness
Diseases including fever (such as flu) often lead to nightmares. Other sleep disorders include apnea and narcolepsy (uncontrollable, paroxysmal short-term sleep during the day), which can lead to nightmares and nightmares.
Nightmares and nightmares are usually considered as normal reflections of daily experiences, but the International Sleep Research Association still suggests that if they get worse, you still need to seek the help of a doctor. However, first you need to try to get rid of the above six factors. This is the best way to call for a good dream and drive away the nightmare!
In addition, you can try to establish a regular schedule, which should leave you enough time to have a good sleep at night and avoid falling asleep in the afternoon or at night. It is also useful to reduce caffeine and alcohol intake and smoke less (especially at night). Here are six ways to get a good sleep and get rid of nightmares:
A good way to get rid of nightmares
1, try not to catch up on sleep:
If you can't go back to sleep after waking up at night 15 minutes, you can listen to your favorite music and turn off the music when you are sleepy. Remember: whether you sleep well at night or not, get up on time the next morning. Even on weekends, you shouldn't try to catch up on sleep because it won't help you overcome insomnia.
2. Don't drink coffee or smoke before going to bed;
Coffee, Coca Cola and chocolate all contain exciting caffeine, so don't drink or eat these things before going to bed. In addition, smoking is also easy to make people excited, so we must get rid of the habit of smoking before going to bed.
3. Don't drink before going to bed:
Some people like to drink some wine before going to bed in order to relax themselves, thinking that it can help them sleep, but this is actually wrong. You know, alcohol can inhibit your central nervous system and ruin your sleep. After a few hours, you will wake up with a headache because of the stimulation of alcohol. It's harmful to your health in the long run.
4. Develop the habit of stopping thinking before going to bed:
Listen to euphemistic slow-paced music before going to bed, or learn to listen to the sounds of nature, such as rain and insects. Listening to natural methods will be a bit difficult at first, but you can learn it as long as you persist.
5. Take a walk at night:
People who have long-term insomnia can also take a walk at night. It's best to choose a place close to home, not too long. Walking can relax muscles and keep your body warm. Usually, when the body temperature drops, people will feel sleepy and want to sleep.
6. Take a hot bath before going to bed:
People have a low body temperature when they fall asleep, but their body temperature is the highest during the day. According to this theory, taking a hot bath two or three hours before going to bed can help them fall asleep, because bathing can raise their body temperature, and by the time you go to bed, their body temperature will drop.
The above introduces the reasons why we have nightmares when we sleep. Friends who are prone to nightmares, don't drink or think before going to bed. You can take a walk after dinner 1 hour and take a hot bath before going to bed. These methods can help you get rid of nightmares.