Having nightmares? These habits might not be letting you sleep!

Nightmares can be quite terrifying and traumatising. Even experiencing seconds of a bad dream can affect your sleep schedule and in the absence of it, carrying on daily activities could be very difficult.

It is easy to blame your nightmares on a scary film you watched but you might be giving yourself nightmares by doing some things, which could ultimately prove costly for your mental health.

If you too are suffering from frequent nightmares, it’s time you take a look at your daily activities which might be contributing to them.

Nightmares, unlike night terrors, affect the body's natural circadian rhythm and your REM sleep patterns and stop you from getting good quality sleep, which is needed for the body to recharge. If you too are suffering from frequent nightmares, it’s time you take a look at your daily activities which might be contributing to them.

Yes, taking medicines which help you sleep can actually make you experienced disturbed sleep patterns as well. A study has found that certain sleep medications can disrupt the body’s natural circadian rhythm and make it too dependent on the medication to get sleep. Hence, having them in small dosage is prescribed so that the balance is maintained.

It is often believed that having a sip or two or a nightcap before bed can relax the body and help get better sleep. But that is not the case. Just like with food, alcohol can energise the brain and force it to stay active and break down the alcohol components, resulting in fragmented sleep and horrifying nightmares.

It is always advised that you have your meal at least two hours before you hit the bed and as a result, bedtime snacking is also not encouraged. When you feel hungry and eat something right before sleeping, your sleep schedule is affected as the brain, which is supposed to go to rest suddenly becomes active trying to break down the food, which is what causes nightmares in the first place, along with night sweats and digestion problems.

Do you have the habit of sleeping on your back? It might be giving you nightmares! The way you sleep can also have an effect on your sleep. Lying on your back and falling asleep can block airways and make it difficult to sleep, leading to feelings of congestion and nightmares.

If you feel tired or drowsy enough but feel tempted to finish just another episode of any show, it might be a good idea to switch off the TV and just go to bed. When you watch something, the brain is forced to stay active for longer than required and does not get the rest it requires going into the sleep mode. Also, those late night horror shows might live up to their name and give you bad dreams, which you are better off without. If you want something to relax, read a book!

This is yet another culprit when it comes to experiencing nightmares. Yes, even sleeping for those extra hours may be bad enough to give you terrifying dreams. According to studies, sleeping for longer disrupts the regular sleep pattern and REM cycle, which reason enough for a nightmare to occur. Clocking in 7-8 hours every day may be the healthiest way to go!