We have all had those times at night when we jerk up and get startled out of our sleep. The feeling of sweaty palms, heart racing, hyperventilating and suddenly the dark seems a little scarier than it did when you went to sleep. It is a feeling that most people say they have experienced before. The root of this can be identified as having a nightmare. Nightmares occur in phase five of the sleep cycle called REM, which is rapid eye movement, and dreaming happens in this stage as well. The harsher a dream, the more you will remember, and that is why people tend to remember their worst ones. Just like a dream, nightmares can reflect conflicts or traumas that you have experienced in your life. They are mixed with real-life and imaginary components. The people in our nightmares could be real people we have seen in our life, but the situation will be completely false. For example, you could have a nightmare about yourself and Beyonce being attacked by lions, tigers, and bears in the middle of a ring of fire. You, Beyonce and the animals are real, but that ring of fire never happened, and the lions, tigers, and bears could have been from The Wizard of Oz you watched last night. Sophomore Kadin Tallon said, “I know from my own personal experiences that it is the brain’s way of releasing stress.” Most nightmares emulate human anxieties or fears. Stressors or situations in our everyday lives can cause us to have nightmares about certain things. If you are scared of flying airplanes and you are flying to Florida for the summer, you could have a nightmare about falling. Going through a recent trauma like a death in the family or car accident can cause people to have recurring nightmares similar to that experience. These frightening types of dreams can vary from person to person, age to age, and gender. However, younger children usually have more nightmares than adults.

 There are ways to prevent or decrease the number of bad dreams you get. The best way to do this is to get a good night’s sleep which stems from a healthy nighttime routine. Reading or writing before bed can help the mind and body wind down. Using your phone right before bed can decrease the melatonin in your body and that is what helps you go to sleep. Even eating before bed triggers the digestive system, and while you are sleeping, it can disturb your sleep. Relaxing can help you destress, so remember these keys factors that will help you sleep more peacefully and reduce those scary bad dreams.