A nightmare is simply a more exaggerated dream. During sleep, both the body and brain complete all sorts of processes to repair the wear and tear from the day. Throughout these processes, we pass through different stages of sleep including REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and non-REM sleep.
We spend about 30 minutes in REM sleep for every 90 minutes cycle that occurs through the night and this is where our dreams occur. Dreams become more unrealistic as we progress from one stage of REM sleep to another all throughout the night, so nightmares may become more frequent further into the sleep cycle.
Nightmares also cause the body to react as if challenged by some sort of threat. Just like when watching a horror movie, we become highly alert at the first recognition of any type of threat present in a nightmare.
At this point, we generally wake up startled and confused. This awakening is actually due to a protective mechanism in the brain. Essentially, you detect a threat in your dream and the best thing you can do to protect yourself is to wake yourself up.
Obviously, a nightmare is nothing to fear and some experts even believe that vivid dreams are actually a sign of good mental health. You can lower your chances of experiencing nightmares, however, by setting a reasonable, regular bedtime, avoiding food and exercise too close to bedtime and turning off the lights and television in the bedroom.
Alcohol is another risk factor for nightmares as it can boost the strength of REM sleep, so lay off the booze if you want more pleasant dreams.
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