Nightmares are disturbing, visual dream sequences that occur in your mind and wake you up from your sleep. It is probably true to assume that most children and adults have had nightmares at some time in their lives. To most of us, a nightmare is a short-lived unpleasant experience that occurs every now and again.  We may view it as something more of an annoyance than any real problem.  However, to many people, nightmares are dreams that cause intense fear and anxiety and are often found in individuals who have had some type of experience in which their sense of security has been threatened.  These types of nightmares become much more significant in that person's life.

Stress

For some individuals, nightmares may be triggered by major psychological traumas, such as those experienced by patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  PTSD can occur when someone has been involved in a serious trauma event such as an auto accident, rape, or a horrific scene such as experienced by soldiers in wars.

 

However, stress is thought to be the most common cause of nightmares. A stress/nightmare cycle can often develop.  Chronic stress may lead to nightmares.  Then a continual bombardment of nightmares, sometimes several per night, can cause our stress levels to climb rapidly.  Because of the fatigue resulting from the nightmares,  even small problems in life can escalate to major stressful problems. This in turn can lead to more nightmares.  The culmination of such severe stress over time can lead to a breakdown in everyday functioning.  When this occurs, professional help is needed.

Anxiety

Panic attacks may occur during sleep in patients with panic disorder, anxiety, or depression and are experienced as nightmares. They can be stimulated by anxiety during the day, highly emotional events, and by anti-depressant drugs. Nightmare disorder, which is also called dream anxiety disorder, is characterized by the occurrence of repeated dreams during which the sleeper feels threatened and frightened. The anxiety resulting from these nightmares may trigger physiological symptoms such as increased heart rate, dilated pupils, and sweating.  These symptoms are not as intense in patients with nightmare disorder as they are in patients experiencing night terrors.  Night terror is similar to nightmares except that nightmares usually occur during REM sleep.  If recurrent, nightmares and night terror may be associated with psychological disturbances or severe stress, especially in adults.    
 

 How to Deal with Nightmares 

Reducing the stress in our lives by techniques such as yoga, meditation, diaphragmatic breathing , going out for long walks, and adjusting our diet to cut back on sugars, fats, caffeine, and alcohol will help in reducing nightmare episodes.  Other ways of relieving distress from a nightmare might include writing it down or thinking of a happy ending to the dream. Talking with a close friend or counselor can help resolve stressful issues and keep them from building up in a person's mind.

Imagery rehearsal therapy for chronic nightmares in sexual assault survivors with PTSD is said to be quite effective.  With this technique, the affected person actively tries to think about the nightmare while they are awake.  She or he then alters  parts of the nightmare in their thoughts.  By repeating this many times, the mind starts to be retrained in its recollection of the trauma.