Anyone can have a bad dream but what makes some worse than other others - what are the causes of bad dreams?

A nightmare is an unpleasant or unwanted dream in which the dreamer feels they are in some danger. The most alarming aspect of a nightmare is the lack of control associated with it. Did you know that around 5% of adults have nightmares regularly?

Any type of dream occurs during rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep. Unlike most dreams a nightmare can cause physical symptoms such as perspiration, flushed cheeks and a high pulse.

There are a few scientific theories associated with what causes of bad dreams. Although there are many different assumptions made about nightmares we really don't know exactly what triggers them.

A popular view of dreaming suggests that the causes of bad dreams lie in the need to release stresses from the day. Sigmund Freud held the view that repressed or suppressed fears were the causes of bad dreams and they could be stopped through psychotherapy.

Traumatic life experiences can often be a key factor in the causes of bad dreams that are related to the memory of the event.

Another common factor in the causes of bad dreams is illness. This is often worsened by the introduction of medicine into the body which adds to the causes of bad dreams and makes them more vivid and frequent.

What are causes of bad dreams being so lucid no-one really knows for certain. Although Mary Shelly penned Frankenstein after a lucid nightmare, most of us do not benefit from a bad dream in such a lucrative way.

It has been suggested that sensitively emotional people can have nightmares more readily than everyone else. What the causes of bad dreams in these people are is still unknown. But the fact that they are more vulnerable to emotional upset means they more likely get emotionally upset which can be something one of the causes of bad dreams.

A negative attitude can be one of the causes of bad dreams being frequent and vivid. By holding on to negative thoughts or feelings you are instructing your mind to process this data. When the subconscious mind tries to deal with this negative data it dreams so that it can process it and thus they are the causes of bad dreams.

To eliminate bad dreams you can do a few things. Do not watch violent or scary shows for a few hours before bed. Avoid the news late at night as a negative images are often causes of bad dreams.

The best way for stopping bad dreams is by learning to lucid dream. Whatever the causes of bad dreams your dream world can be eliminated in a lucid state. You can control every aspect of any dream -even a nightmare!

Read or watch something inspiring. You can also visualize a tranquil scene or imagine yourself doing something you enjoy. Whatever you're thinking just prior to sleep can have a huge impact on your dreams. Thinking negative thoughts while you fall asleep are often causes of bad dreams!

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