Nightmares are incredibly unsettling, you would wake up in the middle of the night panting. Nightmares usually occur during the REM period of your sleep, that’s when your brain is as active as if you are awake even though you are still sleeping.
Scientists don’t know why we have dreams and nightmares, but there are a few things that might spur nightmares.
Eating right before you sleep
If you eat just before you fall asleep, there is a huge chance you will have a nightmare, this is largely because your metabolism would be active so as to digest food and that makes your brain more active. An active brain while sleeping causes nightmares.
Anxiety and stress
If there is something on your mind, there is a high chance that you will dream about it. If you are going through a major life change or living in anticipation of an event, you are most likely going to have a lot of nightmares.
Trauma
People who have gone through traumatic events like physical or sexual abuse or a life-threatening event often dream about it, their subconscious mind keeps on reliving it.
Mental health issues
If you suffer from mental health challenges like depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, there is a very high chance you would have a lot of nightmares.
Drugs and alcohol
If you abuse a lot of drugs and alcohol, you would have a lot of nightmares because they cause you to fall asleep deeply. When you are withdrawing from drugs and alcohol, you might also have a lot of bad dreams.