What Exactly Is a Nightmare?

If you've ever had a nightmare, you're in good company. Almost everyone gets them once in a while - adults, as well as kids. A nightmare is a bad dream. It can may make you feel scared, anxious, or upset, but nightmares are not real and can't harm you.

While you sleep, your brain doesn't just turn off. It goes through several sleep stages, including REM, or Rapid Eye Movement, sleep. Why do they call it that? Because during this stage of sleep, your eyes move back and forth under your closed eyelids. During REM sleep, you have dreams and sometimes those dreams can be scary or upsetting.

About every 90 minutes your brain switches between non-REM sleep and REM sleep. The amount of time spent in REM sleep increases with each sleep cycle through the night. The longest periods of REM sleep occur towards morning. If you wake during this REM stage, it is easier for you to remember what you were dreaming about. That's why your most vivid dreams - and nightmares - occur in the early morning hours.


"my friend recently had nightmares a few days ago, it was so scary but i can not explain further, hope he's reading this to tell us more."

my friend recently had nightmares a few days ago, it was so scary but i can not explain further, hope he's reading this to tell us more.

Yeah, it was pretty strange. I had a few nightmares on Tuesday night and they were as not normal as not normal can be! The first dream I had was about murder/death. I was at Starbucks with some friends when I found a picture book documenting the murders of a crazy Mexican gang. I found myself looking through all of their pictures even though I knew they were all pretty horrific/gruesome. (I guess I was just excited to flip through a book that wasn't supposed to be found by the general public.) I saw burnt and mutilated bodies/faces. It seemed really real to me at the time, so I was feeling pretty sick/sad about what I had found at the coffee shop. The next dream I had was about camping in the forrest with friends. We were all hanging around the dock that lead into the lake. It was a very nice summer evening. I went to dip my bare feet into the water to take in all the wonders that surrounded me, but I fell into the water! I tried really hard to swim, but my legs were not moving and I was drowning. I was yelling for help, but it was like no one could hear me. I felt like someone who wasn't going to be saved. Then I woke up, went to the bathroom, got somethign to drink, and never thought about that stuff again (until I woke up.)

the good thing is, you were able to wake up.what a nightmare indeed,recent study shows that people die in their sleep because of nightmares.

Why Do I Get Nightmares?

Stressful things that happen during the day can turn dreams into nightmares. Nightmares may be a way to relieve the pressures of the day. This usually means dealing with things most kids have to face at one time or another: problems at home, problems at school, and stress from sports or schoolwork. Sometimes major changes, such as moving or the illness or death of a loved one, can cause stress that leads to nightmares.

Another thing that may cause nightmares is watching scary movies or reading scary books, especially before you go to bed.

Sometimes if you are sick, especially with a high fever, you may have nightmares. Certain medications also can cause nightmares. Let your parents and doctor know if you notice you are having more nightmares around the time you started a new medicine.

the good thing is, you were able to wake up.what a nightmare indeed,recent study shows that people die in their sleep because of nightmares.

My dreams are supposed to be filled with good things, like jelly beans, fast cars, hot chicks and nice weather! 

My dreams are supposed to be filled with good things, like jelly beans, fast cars, hot chicks and nice weather!   

i can not ask for more about my dreams recently, they are all nice.

My dreams are supposed to be filled with good things, like jelly beans, fast cars, hot chicks and nice weather!   

wow! hot chicks? like who? 

i can not ask for more about my dreams recently, they are all nice.

my dreams hasn't been that good for few days now...it's all work-related.. 

my dreams hasn't been that good for few days now...it's all work-related.. 

there's a technique to have good dreams

there's a technique to have good dreams

ah really?  what's the technique?