by Jessica Brown of ContemporaryVA

As unpleasant as they may be, nightmares are a normal part of life. We have all experienced a terrifyingly real dream that makes us want to wake up sooner than we ever seem to be able to. Sometimes the dream is scary enough to wake the dreamer while other dreams seem to never end.

Nightmares do not discriminate. People of any age, race or gender will experience at least a handful of nightmares throughout their lifetime. Many nightmares stem from a traumatic real-life experience. The brain can pull from images or themes from that experience and create a reality that is so vivid that the dreamer believes the event is actually taking place.

At least 90 percent of dreams occur during the deepest stage of sleep called REM sleep. Dreams can also occur in parts of non-REM sleep. Dreams of any kind can cause insomnia, which is a condition of unsatisfactory sleep. This disorder impairs a person’s daytime well-being and normal ability to function which could make the vicious cycle of sleepless nights continue to spiral out of control.

Life events that include stress or change of any kind can trigger nightmares. Anxiety can also cross over from a person’s waking moments to their dreams if a proper coping strategy is not put into place. Mind chatter, or the inability to shut off your brain in order to rest, can also keep a person up at night. The body relies heavily on one’s ability to restfully sleep so that it can recharge its energy reserves. Therefore, sleepless nights can become a danger to a person’s overall health and a professional sleep specialist should be consulted if you find yourself unable to obtain a sufficient amount of rest each night.

Alternative methods such as Meridian Tapping or guided visualization reduce stress and anxiety levels and can therefore lessen the probability of having nightmares. These methods also are beneficial because they are natural and do not have hangover side effects like many common sleep-aid medications.

Do you suffer from nightmares or have you in the past? What steps have you taken to lessen the effects from them?