Why do humans have nightmares and how to get rid of them?

Dr Breus, a clinical psychologist, said: “People usually have nightmares in the middle and late nights of sleep. Because the nightmares are very real, you may suddenly sit up in bed, clear your mind, and have trouble falling asleep. .”

Dr. Brows also noted that “nightmares, like dreams in general, may have little function. They are by-products of other activities in the body. But most sleep scientists believe that dreams and nightmares exist for a purpose.” “A study found that the most common nightmare scenarios were falling, being chased, and dying.

Sleep medicine specialist Dr. Krakow is the author of Sleep That Saves Lives. In his writings, he delves into nightmares and other sleep disorders. He believes that people who have suffered trauma are more likely to have nightmares, such as veterans, accident survivors; in addition, biologically sensitive people are also more likely to have nightmares, such as patients with anxiety, depression, etc.; Studies have shown that people with sleep disorders are also more likely to have nightmares.

We usually think that nightmares are caused by eating too many spicy foods before going to bed. A 2015 study also did find a link between eating dairy or spicy food before bed and having nightmares. But the study authors then pointed out that these data are not scientific enough, and there are many other variables that need to be considered.

In 2001, the Krakow team pioneered “Image Rehearsal Therapy” (IRT). This therapy can reduce chronic nightmares, improve overall sleep quality, and reduce symptoms of PTSD. Although this therapy is authoritatively recognized, many people do not understand it.

“Image rehearsal therapy” mainly refers to allowing patients to imagine a picture in their minds under the premise of clear-headedness, and then teach others how to accurately describe the picture. By painting the new picture, Krakow said, the patient activates an imaging system, with the help of which it only takes a few weeks to see a noticeable reduction in nightmares.