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This article was co-written by Evan Parks, PsyD. Dr. Evan Parks is a licensed clinical psychologist and visiting assistant professor at the Michigan State University School of Medicine. With over 25 years of experience, he specializes in helping patients manage chronic pain with acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. He also has experience in many areas, from stress management to mental flexibility. Dr. Parks is also the author of Chronic Pain Rehabilitation: Active Pain Management That Helps You Get Back to the Life You Love. return to your favorite life). Parks holds a bachelor’s degree in Theology from Cedarville University, a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Western Michigan University, and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the School of Professional Psychology at the University of California. Forest Institute.
This article has been viewed 3,533 times.
Having nightmares can be an unpleasant experience. While you can limit your chances of having nightmares, they are inevitable. When it comes to nightmares, there are a few skills you can apply to deal with them better.
Steps
Calm Yourself
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Quickly regain composure. When you wake up from a nightmare, you’re more likely to be scared. Take the following steps immediately to eliminate fear and calm yourself: [1] X Research Source
- Quickly get up after waking up from a nightmare.
- Sit at the edge of the bed with your feet touching the floor.
- Focus on everything around you. Read the names of objects in the room.
- Calmly reassure yourself. Tell yourself that you are safe and fully awake.
- Try to sleep again. If you can’t fall asleep after 15 minutes, do something relaxing until you feel tired.
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Stabilize the senses. While affirming to your mind that you are awake and safe, you need to confirm it with your senses and your body as well. Stabilize each of the senses by taking the following steps: [2] X Research Source
- Taste. Try eating something strong, like mint. Avoid eating sugar because it will affect sleep.
- Tactile. Touch something with a rough or cold surface, like an ice cube.
- Smell. Keep things with a relaxing or strong smell next to your bed like coffee or cloves.
- Hearing. Choose soothing sounds or listen to soothing music.
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Learn to breathe quietly. Quiet breathing can help lower your heart rate and ease the fear and stress caused by nightmares. By taking the steps of this technique, you can dramatically improve your recovery from a nightmare: [3] X Research Source
- Inhale through your nose, close your mouth, and hold for 5 seconds.
- Exhale slowly. Think of words like “relax” or “calm” as you exhale.
- Hold for 5 seconds and inhale again.
- Practice this breathing technique during the day, before going to bed and after having nightmares.
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Don’t wallow in nightmares. As soon as you wake up from a nightmare, try not to think about what you just experienced. Sitting in bed thinking about a nightmare will only increase anxiety, make it harder to get back to sleep, and increase your risk of having another nightmare.
- Wait until the next morning to analyze and understand the nightmare you encountered.
- Get out of bed and calm down immediately. Try to make tea and read relaxing books in soft light.
- Assure yourself that you are safe, check the locks on the windows and doors of your home.
- Remind yourself that the worst nightmare is over and it’s just a dream.
Find Out What Causes Nightmares
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Log nightmares. When you are awake during the day, record the nightmare in a diary. Keeping a complete record of the episodes, themes, images, and lines of your nightmare will help you understand them and possibly find the cause in your waking life. [4] X Research Sources
- Remember as many details as possible when recording nightmares.
- Explore any connections to your waking life. For example, having nightmares about someone yelling and hurting you could be related to an unfriendly work environment.
- Write down your feelings, even if you can’t remember why you felt that way in your dream. It is important to know in a dream you feel disoriented.
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Talk to friends or family members you trust. Talk to someone you trust about nightmares. The help of friends and family can put you at ease and reduce the risk of nightmares. [5] X Research Sources
- Telling others about the nightmare you had can help you recall the details and dig deeper into the dream to see if it has anything to do with your waking life.
- Only talk about nightmares to people you trust and feel safe with.
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Find out what causes nightmares. Nightmares can stem from a range of activities, and giving up or adjusting to those activities can lead to nightmares. Examine your actions daily and find out what could be causing your nightmares, including: [6] X Research Source
- Excessive stress in life. Any cause of stress in life can translate into dreams and cause nightmares. See if your daily routine is problematic. Try to improve the situation to reduce stress and see if the nightmares reduce.
- A traumatic event or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If you have experienced a traumatic event in the past, it could be the cause of the nightmare. Often, nightmares that stem from pain will have facts about that pain and are often repetitive.
- Stop or take a new medication. Talk to your doctor to learn more about your prescription or suggest stopping them and see if they cause nightmares as a side effect.
- Abuse of alcohol or drugs. These can disrupt sleep patterns and patterns, leading to nightmares. Check dosages of such substances and their likelihood of being associated with nightmares. Talk to your doctor to stop abusing those substances.
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See a doctor. If nightmares occur more than once a week and keep you from sleeping well, call your doctor to make an appointment. Be prepared to be able to answer the following questions and procedures when you see your doctor: [7] X Research Source
- When and how often does the nightmare appear?
- How is your sleep? Do you often wake up suddenly and have trouble getting back to sleep?
- Does the nightmare cause extreme fear and anxiety?
- Have you been under a lot of stress lately?
- What medication are you taking? Do you take drugs or alcohol? What is the frequency and quantity? Do you use medications or alternative therapies?
- Your doctor may send you for neurological or psychological testing.
Try using art to deal with nightmares. This may not be the best approach for people with severe psychological trauma, especially PTSD, without professional guidance. But for many people, understanding dreams through the expressive arts can help you study, understand, and interpret dreams enough to make you forget them. This activity includes:
- Expressive arts: Drawing, sketching, sculpting
- Music: Composing music
- Performing arts: film, dance, theater
- Creative writing: poetry, short stories, novels, blogs.
Using Imaginary Rehearsal Therapy
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Learn about Imaginary Rehearsal Therapy. If you have nightmares, the result of trauma, or persistent nightmares, you may need to use visualization therapy. This therapy has been shown to be effective in reducing the frequency of nightmares. [8] X Research Sources
- Fantasy rehearsal therapy involves retelling your nightmare.
- Visual rehearsal therapy is proven to be effective and a simple technique.
- Talk to your doctor or therapist to find out how this therapy works best for you.
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Write down the content of the nightmare. Recall the waking nightmare and record it as if it were a story. Try to capture the bottom line of the nightmare and whatever episode you feel is appropriate. [9] X Research Source
- Don’t be afraid to bring up the nightmare. Remember why you have to reminisce about them.
- Be as honest and accurate as possible with what you recall.
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Make changes. Take charge of the nightmare and rewrite any part of the nightmare content if you wish. The main idea here is to translate the negative aspects of the nightmare into the positive. By changing the nightmare, you remove the original mental cause of the nightmare. Try changing the following aspects:
- Change ends to be positive.
- Change the general theme.
- Change the plot to create a better context for the dream.
- Change whatever you want.
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Rehearse the new scenario in your head. Actively imagine the nightmare of the day with the changes you just made. Rehearsing the nightmare this way will help you think that the new, positive content you just wrote is to replace the previous nightmare. [10] X Research Source
- Do this at least once a day, for a few minutes.
- Repeating the above visualization can be effective.
Advice
- You are not alone. Nightmares are a frequent occurrence, affecting 80-90% of the population to some degree in their lives. [11] X Research Source
- Often a counselor or psychologist will help you through the nightmare. [12] X Research Source
- Try to remember the sounds you heard in the dream, it could be the sounds you hear in your house every day.
- Even though you may think it’s childish, turning on a night light in the darkest part of your bedroom can give you peace of mind.
- Understand that nightmares are not a harbinger of what will happen, so don’t be afraid of anyone in the dream.
- Remember that nightmares are not real. If you need reassurance, talk to close friends, parents, relatives, and laugh together at the absurdity of the dream.
Warning
- If you have nightmares that disrupt your sleep or keep you from resting comfortably for long periods of time, you should see your doctor.
- If you have nightmares more than once a week, talk to your doctor.
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This article was co-written by Evan Parks, PsyD. Dr. Evan Parks is a licensed clinical psychologist and visiting assistant professor at the Michigan State University School of Medicine. With over 25 years of experience, he specializes in helping patients manage chronic pain with acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. He also has experience in many areas, from stress management to mental flexibility. Dr. Parks is also the author of Chronic Pain Rehabilitation: Active Pain Management That Helps You Get Back to the Life You Love. return to your favorite life). Parks holds a bachelor’s degree in Theology from Cedarville University, a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Western Michigan University, and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the School of Professional Psychology at the University of California. Forest Institute.
This article has been viewed 3,533 times.
Having nightmares can be an unpleasant experience. While you can limit your chances of having nightmares, they are inevitable. When it comes to nightmares, there are a few skills you can apply to deal with them better.
Thank you for reading this post How to Cope with Nightmares at Lassho.edu.vn You can comment, see more related articles below and hope to help you with interesting information.
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