Nightmares are dreams that frighten and remember for a long time. In terms of evolution, sleep has two phases (slow and fast). Sleep for man is a compromise between rest and safety. So why do you have nightmares during sleep?
Sleep phases
The slow phase is the main and ancient stage of human sleep. The fast phase arose during the heating mechanism, the exit from hibernation or stupor. In the fast phase, a person quickly wakes up, orientates himself and consciously comes to the end of sleep. The slow phase is designed to rest and restore the functions of the psyche. Such a phase change helps to restore mental balance, but retains the possibility of danger in memory. In a dream, a person can subconsciously combine exciting topics and their associations in one dream. With this process, sleep enhances emotionality and perception of it.
Causes of Nightmares in a Dream
A dream often has a precautionary function. Nightmares in which a person makes a fall only increase the fear of heights. Sensitivity to pain when falling in a dream disappears, but these emotions remain in the mind and can be projected, expressing pain. Conventionality of fear in situations with a fall is formed in a person from childhood. The child consciously understands that he loses support only after he begins to walk. When falling, the child experiences pain, which during a dream develops into a fear of losing support.It is scientifically proven that based on such situations, nightmares appear. Nightmares only increase emotionality, and fear of heights appears already in real life. Thus, a large number of people have phobias for one or another symptom.
Dreams that carry affection from childhood are associated with gravity. People who avoid phobias in life, such as falls, confined spaces, water and other things, often at the subconscious level transfer their fear to sleep, which naturally develops into a nightmare for them. If we consider a dream with the development of time, then it can be interpreted as repeating. This is one and the same psychological process, which implies the influence of the situation and the experienced emotions in changes in the phase of sleep.
The use of nightmares by scientists
Nightmares are not based only on fear. Scientists interpret a nightmare dream as a relief. A bad dream reflects stress and anxiety, after which a certain picture develops in the brain, which is played out in a dream. This affects the psyche well and gives a result in life. The fact is that in a dream, the emotions brought are experienced much easier, and in the process of awakening, a person realizes that it was just a bad dream.
Brain wakefulness occurs precisely during the fast phase of sleep, which is repeated with a frequency of 90 minutes. Brain activity increases, but the body’s ability to move is absent. This has a positive effect on the brain, it always remains in good shape. Nightmares have a positive effect on the body.It is during a dream that pressure returns to normal, the immune system strengthens and cell growth occurs.
How to deal with nightmares?
Food and drugs at bedtime affect the human body negatively, cells begin to develop intensely and the brain quickly comes into activity, which often causes nightmare dreams.
Scientific studies have proven that nightmares can be stopped. During a nightmare, the brain is awake, and the ability to change the plot is great. Often a person wakes up from a nightmare and in his imagination comes up with another story that he would like to see, but this is pointless. Until the moment when the dream comes again, at least 90 minutes pass and during this period of time, the dream may simply disappear.
Nightmares are a commonplace occurrence for a person, so there is no need to be afraid of them. The accumulated stress, emotions, feelings, with the help of nightmares, release the body from mental stress. These factors should be taken into account and carefully prepared for the phases of sleep.
