Why do I have dreams every night and how to get rid of them

Healthy sleep is a necessary part of life. Without sleep, no human body can survive for more than a few days. Poor quality of sleep or lack of it inevitably leads to mental disorders, irritability, and problems concentrating. An important element of sleep is dreams. During night dreams, the brain is unloaded, and information received during wakefulness is sorted and processed. This frees up space for new emotions and knowledge.

Dreams occur every night; they reflect the world of desires, anxieties and everyday worries of a person. Many people are interested in what dreams portend, why some people see vivid emotional dreams all the time, while others cannot remember anything about traveling to the world of dreams. Let's figure it out.

How does brain activity change during sleep?

After falling asleep, a person begins to see certain images. Even ancient people tried to understand the mechanics of their appearance, interpret their meaning, and learn to manage this process. During the Middle Ages, the opinions of “experts” varied greatly. Some called dreams the machinations of devilish forces, others - messages from angels.

Esotericists, psychologists, and doctors tried to interpret the meaning of dreams. The nature of the appearance of dreams remains completely unexplored to this day. But scientists still found out something:

1. To those uninitiated in the mysteries of brain activity, it seems that while falling asleep the brain turns off and stops functioning. This is only an appearance; in fact, this organ works constantly, and even during a person’s oblivion.
2. After the body enters a state of sleep, the brain reduces its sensitivity to external stimuli. Instead of responding to what is happening around - seeing, hearing, feeling, the central organ of the nervous system processes the experience gained during the day.

3. In dreams, some details that seemed significant fade into the background, and previously underestimated moments of what happened to a person during wakefulness become discernible.

There are many cases in history when a person came to a decision on an important matter in a dream.

In a situation where a person does not sleep well, this vital function of the brain is disrupted. The information received is not remembered, and as a result of the problem created, memory deteriorates significantly.

Pain treatment

Remember the saying that time heals wounds? In fact, simple dreams can heal any psychological wounds - the negative consequences of complex emotional episodes actually disappear over time, and night dreams contribute to this. They calm the brain after the shocks experienced during the day, even the smallest ones.

Therefore, if you dream at night, that’s good. This means that you will be calm in the morning, because your brain will have time to rest overnight and “heal” from stress. Dreams help you learn life lessons from difficult situations in order to move on with your life.

Dream World

Night scenes are completely different. Having identified the main features of visions, we can classify night dreams into groups:

1. Household (empty). They are a reflection of everyday life and do not carry any special meaning.
2. Encrypted information.

3. Symbols. Such visions have no direct connection with everyday life. Events and characters appear in bizarre forms.
4. Predictions. After them, similar events occur in real life. The dream and subsequent reality are interconnected.

In some folk cultures, there is a belief that important dreams occur depending on a certain pattern, for example, only on certain days. Also, significant images appear in the last minutes before awakening. It doesn’t have to be the early morning hours; a person can wake up from sleep at any moment of the night. Such visions are filled with special meanings and, possibly, solutions to problems that are relevant to the dreamer.

How to get rid of nightmares and why do you have them?

Frightening dreams, if they occur infrequently, may even be beneficial because they help the body deal with stress. If such dreams become constant, then this is a certain signal from the body.

Nightmares sometimes result from real life problems, especially if the unpleasant situation lasts for a long time. This is a reflection of a person’s internal experiences, conflicts and pain.

If you start having nightmares after the death of a loved one, an accident or other stressful events, then it may be difficult to get rid of them alone and you will need the help of psychologists.

also accompany a person during periods of depression, overwork, or illness. You can get rid of them by visualizing dream scenes that cause the most acute negative reaction. These scenes need to be changed by replaying the plot in a positive way.

Exercise during the day, a hot bath before bed, and avoiding overeating right before bed can help improve your sleep quality.

What is a dream?

A dream is an image that appears in the subconscious of the sleeper. Even when a person sleeps, his connection with reality remains. The famous psychiatrist Sigmund Freud believed that a dream reveals a person’s unrealized and even unconscious desires. When you fall asleep, your brain switches to a different mode of activity. Neurons, nerve cells begin processing events and emotions, information received during the day. It is this physiological process that forms the pictures of night dreams.

The ancient Greek philosopher and thinker Aristotle wrote in his writings that the harmony of nature and man is manifested in a dream.

The influence of nightmares on the human psyche

Since ancient times, people have been looking for secret meaning in dreams. There are many interpretations of dreams that are displayed in dream books. Very often they are contradictory, which is why a person begins to worry and places a strong emphasis on bad dreams.

Experts advise getting rid of nightmares when they are often repeated, disrupt the usual way of life, lead to a deterioration in general well-being and physical health, and also change the human psyche:

• cause increased anxiety, keep a person in constant fear;
• lead to worsening mood, depression, apathy or aggression;
• can become a trigger for severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia.

How dreams are formed

People dream all the time, after the subconscious mind has adjusted to processing impressions, i.e. immediately after falling asleep and before waking up. Different stages have some differences.

75% of the total duration of rest is occupied by the phase of slow, or deep sleep. It is this period that is characterized by a person’s ability to stand up, speak, and walk in a dream. Visions at such a moment are without bright colors, they do not have much meaning, and are practically not remembered.

REM, or shallow sleep, is quite short; its distinctive feature is the movements of the eyeballs under the eyelids. This indicates that the brain is processing emotions and impressions received during interaction with the environment. At such moments, colorful dreams occur, with interesting plots, accompanied by strong feelings of the sleeper.

If a person lies down to rest for a short time during the day, the REM sleep phase may not occur.

Factors in nightly dreams

Psychologists made an interesting conclusion after numerous studies: negative dreams are more often seen by pessimists, insecure people, and skeptics. By understanding the motive of nightmares, you can get rid of them faster.

Psychological causes of scary dreams

Worries about loved ones, pangs of conscience for a committed offense are factors that can lead to a person’s psycho-emotional instability. And a negative emotional background leads to bleak dreams. Psychological motives underlie sad dreams.

• A shock for a person, leading to nightmare visions, is the death of loved ones or relatives. Divorce, an act of violence, conflicts at work are phenomena that leave a deep psychological mark on a person’s soul. Only time will help get rid of heart wounds.
• Serious health problems worry not only during the day, but also at night the brain continues to analyze a difficult situation.
• Extreme situations with the release of large amounts of adrenaline and cortisol (stress hormone) often have a detrimental effect on the human psyche and lead to restless dreams.
• Thoughts about the upcoming important report, the fear of not completing an important task or making incorrect calculations excite the nervous system, preventing you from completely relaxing and relaxing. The result is interrupted sleep due to nightmares.
• Excessive physical and mental fatigue during the day does not guarantee sound sleep at night. On the contrary, fatigue often causes insomnia or bad dreams.
• Family scandals and showdowns, especially in the evening, are an additional reason for negative visions.
• Watching thrillers or programs with traumatic plots before bed is undesirable for impressionable people.

The saying “We all come from childhood” is filled with deep meaning, because childhood impressions are reinforced for life. In the same way, psychological traumas received at an early age are temporarily relegated to the corners of the subconscious, and over time they can transform into nightmares.

Physical and esoteric causes of negative dreams

Daily unpleasant night dreams do not allow a person to fully rest, which harms the body. But if in order to eliminate psychological causes it is important to learn to control one’s own nerves, then some of the physiological factors are completely removable.

• Scary dreams are often caused by a painful condition with a high fever.
• Diseases of the cardiovascular system and asthma, leading to impaired respiratory function, are often accompanied at night by visions of suffocation.
• Overeating leads to sleep disorders. The discomfort of resting with a full stomach is reflected in bad dreams.
• The cause of nightmares lies in alcohol abuse and smoking, which leads to vasospasm.
• Side effects when taking a group of medications: antidepressants, barbiturates, tranquilizers are expressed in nighttime disturbances and nightmares.
• Failure to comply with sleep hygiene: stuffy, stale air, uncomfortable bed, extraneous noise, bright light affect the subjects of dreams. External stimuli, influencing the subconscious, build negative images and situations in night dreams.

The original explanation for nightmares is given by esoteric parapsychologists. If a person was in a negative situation during the day: sad, angry, offended, and when communicating with other people he was recharged by someone else’s energy, then his astral energy increases.

The person himself becomes a beacon for hostile entities in the astral world who need energy recharge. “Hungry spirits,” as Tibetan monks call them, often hide in the souls of the dead. To help attach to a person’s luminous astral body is the main task of the entities. At the moment of attachment (sometimes at this time the person shudders sharply) a nightmare vision occurs.

Is it good or bad to dream every night?

Some people may wonder if it is good to have any dreams consistently every night. There is an assumption that this is a sign of sleep quality problems. The reason for this may be stressful situations, various disorders of the nervous system.

Frequent night visions are an alarming signal, because a person’s oblivion in this case is not deep, because during the slow-wave sleep phase a person simply does not remember his dreams. The dreamer cannot fully rest every night, experiencing many storylines of his visions and storing them in memory. Subsequently, such a violation can negatively affect health.

Recommendations for improving sleep quality

To improve the quality of your sleep and achieve complete relaxation, pay attention to the following recommendations from experts:

1. Try to fall asleep before midnight.
2. Maintain a routine by going to bed at approximately the same time every day.
3. Ensure absolute darkness and silence in the bedroom.
4. Make sure there is enough oxygen by ventilating the room in advance. During the warm season, it is recommended to sleep with the windows open.
5. A few hours before going to bed, avoid increased physical and psycho-emotional stress.

Improving the quality of sleep for good rest without dreams
If these recommendations do not have the desired effect, then you should seek advice from a specialist, especially if you have symptoms such as increased fatigue, sleepiness during the day, causeless anxiety and irritability.

People who are endowed with a good imagination and lead an active lifestyle can dream often, and this is considered the norm. However, if dreams come every night, then you should pay attention to the state of the central nervous system.

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Nightmarish and good dreams

Sometimes people may have scary dreams. Children especially suffer from nightmares. At this age, the human psyche is still adapting to life. Adults themselves can cause nightmares for children when they scare them in order to protect them from possible danger. Such methods of education frighten children, cause feelings of anxiety and restlessness, and they cause frightening night visions.

For an adult, the causes of nightmares are:

• stressful situations;
• overeating before going on a night's rest;
• mental disorders;
• alcohol abuse;
• taking medications.

Regular scary dreams can trigger the development of depression.

The good news for a person who periodically encounters nightmare images is that they sometimes help find a way out of a difficult situation and help them survive unpleasant moments in real life.

Good dreams calm you down and reduce anxiety about everyday problems. They can help you realize your own dreams, inspire, and make plans.

Rituals

Certain actions may seem meaningless and too naive, but trust the age-old wisdom and you will definitely achieve what you want. Two more conditions: when you wake up, do not delay the ceremony and do not tell anyone about what happened in the vision until lunch.

• When you wake up, touch the item made of wood and say:

• “Wash away” the dream. Retell the contents of the vision to the running water, and then add:

• If you want to eliminate nightmares from your life, get a dream catcher for your bedroom. The Indians revealed the secret of this amulet to us. According to legends, terrible visions become entangled in its networks, while good ones pass through the interweaving of threads without hindrance and come true. It is easy to find on sale, but an amulet made by yourself will work better. When you start making a talisman, concentrate on the purpose for which it is being created. Colored threads, bright beads, and feathers will come in handy. In addition, the amulet will be a wonderful interior decoration.
• After waking up, do you feel horror, confusion, despondency? Turn to the east, lower your head down, leaving your torso straight and say 3 times:

• There is another method of freeing yourself from anxious thoughts in order to find peace. Lower your head, relax, close your eyes. Let your imagination see a stormy river with a high waterfall. Say 3 times without departing from the text:

• Was the dream strange, confusing, incoherent, did it leave a chaotic aftertaste? Write down everything you remember on paper. Burn the sheet while saying:

• Such actions will help you free yourself from nightmares and prevent their manifestation in reality. Describe the content of the dream manually and burn it over the flame of a white candle, reciting the text:

• If there are no candles nearby, another ritual is allowed. Pour liquid into a cup, add salt, saying:

• When restless dreams are not a rare exception, if they often present unpleasant surprises, use this ritual. Place an open container with holy water at the head of the room. The liquid will attract negative energy, cleanse you, and normalize dreams. In the morning, pour the water down the drain. Repeat several nights in a row if necessary.

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Prophetic dreams

There are such visions that are then embodied in the events of a person’s real life. People are curious about their future, wanting to guess future events. Any events that coincide with the plot of the dream are automatically considered predicted in night dreams. Then the dream is declared prophetic.

Modern scientists have determined that dream prediction is nothing more than the result of the work of the gray matter. By processing past experiences, the brain during sleep takes into account those details that were missed during wakefulness. As you process these non-obvious moments, your subconscious mind predicts how events in your life might unfold in the future. The brain produces “predictions” in the form of images that are dreamed.

Continuum of repetition

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The concept belongs to William Domhoff, an American researcher and psychologist. He believes that the upper, intense level of the continuum is traumatic dreams, nightmares, which directly reproduce a traumatic experience that has already occurred in reality: a terrible event, loss, deep grief. Experts in the human psyche believe that nightmares are one of the main symptoms inherent in post-traumatic stress disorder.

The next level is recurring dreams, in which the plot can be reproduced either partially or completely. They are distinguished from traumatic dreams by the fact that they rarely directly reproduce terrible events or conflicts. Instead, such a dream reflects the traumatic experience metaphorically, expressing it through a central emotion.

Next, the continuum identifies recurring themes that are reproduced from time to time. Such dreams show the same similar situation - for example, a person is late, he is being chased, or he loses something. However, the exact content of the dream itself does not coincide and may vary: in one dream a person is late for a train, in another for an exam, in a third for an important meeting, but the event of being late itself remains common.

And the last element of the continuum of repetition and its lower level were individual details of a dream that are repeated in different dreams of one person. These include characters, any specific actions, items or objects.

Each of these dreams reflects, at its own level, an attempt by a sleeping person to resolve certain emotional problems. When the dreamer moves from an intense level of the repetition continuum to a lower level, it is a sign that his psychological state is gradually improving. For example, the content of traumatic nightmares is considered from the point of view of their change. If positive changes are visible in nightmares, then the person, according to psychologists, is gradually overcoming his traumas and difficulties.

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What dreams say: 16 transcripts that can help you figure out what the subconscious is saying

Why are dreams not remembered?

Some people constantly have vivid dreams, others do not remember their dreams, and some people believe that they never dream. When a person has a healthy rest, a calm life, then dreams are remembered less. During a comfortable, quiet rest and in deep sleep, visions are recorded by the brain only before waking up in the morning. If the rest is anxious, the person is in nervous tension, waking up often, then the number of memorable dreams increases.