Your eyes spring open.
Your heart pounds through your rib cage.
You catch your breath as you realize you’re awake.
The vivid imagery fades as you quiet your breathing.
It was just a nightmare.
But what exactly is a nightmare?
According toAmerisleep, nightmares are vivid, intense, and scary dreams that can cause serious distress and anxiety.
Nightmares are normal but, fortunately, uncommon for most.
It’s therefore important to determine the root cause of your terrifying dreams.
Otherwise, you might have a significantly harder time getting rid of your nightmares and getting better sleep.
The worse your nightmares get, the worse your sleep patterns may become.
Frequent nightmares, on the other hand, may be a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
A review published in theFrontiers in Neurology Journaldemonstrated a link between nightmares and sleep apnea as well.
When the brain is deprived of oxygen, it can trigger dreams of suffocation and drowning.
If you believe that PTSD, menopause, or sleep apnea is causing your nightmares, contact your doctor.
They may prescribe therapy or medication to alleviate the symptoms.
Hopefully, the right help will alleviate your nightmares.
