I remember my cousin died because of a nightmare a couple of years ago. It is a silent killer that is more prone to men. The real cause of nightmares are unknown, and no one knows when it will strike. There have also been cases of bad dreams happening during afternoon sleep. In a more general view, nightmares are caused primarily by the way a person lived. If the person is in a depressed condition, unhealthy and malnourished, or stressed, you are more probably going to experience a nightmare.
Not all nightmare victims died instantly during sleeping. Some individuals survive the attack with the help of their roommate, who waked them during a nightmare. This kind of situation is between life and death, and you must be alert to immediately aid the victim because it is tough to revive a person during the attack. Due to some experiences of some people, below are the best tips on how to avoid or prevent nightmares.
Drink a lot of water before bedtime. Water can make you urinate during night sleep for about 2 to 3 times a day. Although it is a very disturbing option for you, this is quite helpful to avoid nightmares.
Avoid being stressed. Nightmares occur when you are not in a good state of mind. Learn to change your mood before going to bed. It is best to watch a movie, preferably a comedy series and not horror films or news about violence, to lift up your spirit and forget the stressful day you just had.
Relax before bedtime. There are many ways to relax our body, such as meditation, a good massage, drink your regular night tea or take a good conversation with your partner or kids.
Exercise. A good physical activity can release tension and stress. A good workout before bedtime is highly recommendable to avoid nightmares.
Avoid overthinking. It is better to clear your mind from bad memories, such as problems and relationships. Keep yourself mentally stable before you sleep.
Avoid fatty foods. Fatty foods, such as meats and pork, can make your stomach heavy during sleep. In turn, it has more risk of suffering nightmares.
Avoid taking drugs. Medicinal drugs can contribute to having nightmares. It is also not useful to your health during night time and can harm your liver and kidney.
Stop smoking. Nicotine found in cigarettes is proven to cause some sleep disorders such as nightmares.
Don’t sleep alone. It is recommended to have a company in your room. Nightmares can be avoided if you are awakened immediately during an attack, and to do that, you have to share your room with others.
Don’t drink alcohol. Alcohol is not a remedy for good night sleep. Instead, it can make the probability of suffering a nightmare very high.
Don’t eat pasta before bedtime. Studies conducted on nightmare victims had shown that the majority of them consumed kinds of pasta before they die. This does not conclude that eating pasta before bedtime is the real cause but might be one of the causes.
Although sleep disorders such as nightmares cannot be predicted, it is better to be healthy and knowledgeable about this sleep disorder. It can happen to anyone and anytime. Follow these guidelines to help you avoid nightmares effectively.
