14 TIPS FOR GETTING RID OF NIGHTMARES
By Ryan Hurd
Dream Studies
September 2, 2010

Sometimes the only dreams we remember are the ones we wish we could forget.
Nightmares can be instructive, and most psychologists believe that they are
a healthy part of life. But if you are plagued by repetitive nightmares and
are losing sleep, sometimes changing your daily habits can reduce nightmare
frequency. In general, nightmares can be caused by insufficient sleep, poor
exercise and diet, and stress. The tips below all are aimed at cultivating a
healthier sleep and dream life, drawn from my ebook Enhance Your Dreamlife:

1. Don't go to sleep angry or stressed out. Give yourself time to cool down.

2. Regular sleep patterns = better dreams. Including weekends.

3. Don't eat right before bed. In particular, foods that take longer to
digest, like meats and cheeses, can increase nightmares.

4. Reduce alcohol and caffeine consumption.

5. Cultivate gratitude. If this doesn't come easy, do a "thankfulness"
exercise every day in which you list the aspects of your life that you are
thankful for.

6. Reduce exposure to violent images in the media, especially in the
evenings. Horror movies can cause lingering nightmares for years.

7. Spend time in nature as often as possible, even if this means sitting in
a city park for fifteen minutes every day. Many therapists believe that we
all suffer from "nature deficiency disorder."

8. Don't sleep on your back. This encourages a special kind of nightmare
known as sleep paralysis, in which you feel like you are awake and alert
while at the same time you cannot move. Sufferers also feel breathless
and/or sense an ³unknown presence² in the room.

9. Start a gentle body practice like yoga, walking, or tai chi. In general,
moderate exercise increases the quality of sleep.

10. If you have repetitive nightmares, role-play how you will face your
nightmare attackers next time.

11. Keep a dream journal. Often writing it out can dispel a lot of the
powerful emotionality.

12. Join a dream-sharing group. Many larger cities have them. If not, start
your own.

13. Give yourself some self-love and acceptance. Easy to suggest, but hard
to do. I use journaling to remind myself that I am loved. Affirmations --
while they can seem cheesy at first -- are effective as well. My backlog of
journals is essentially a history of pep-talks I've given myself over the
years and it still works.

14. Keep fresh flowers or aromatic oils in the bedroom. Research shows that
good smells positively effects your dreams.

Note: If you have numerous, repetitive nightmares that are related to
childhood scenes or some personal trauma you encountered, I recommend seeing
a counselor or therapist. Severe nightmares are a common symptom of Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder, which can be caused by war, devastating personal
loss, rape and suffering through a natural disaster. Ministers and priests
are also good resources for dealing with nightmares if you attend a church;
many are trained in working with the spiritual and traumatic side of dreams.

For more information about getting better sleep and exploring dreams,
download my [Ryan Hurd's] free ebook Enhance your Dreamlife

Every week for the past 10 years I interpret two dreams for an advice column called The Dream Zone, which I co-write with Dr. Lauri Loewenberg “the Dream Lady”. I thought it might be fun to start posting them here…

BOYFRIEND IN BED WITH ANOTHER WOMAN
My dream was: I entered into my boyfriend’s room and I found him on bed with somebody else. I was able to see her face, but I was not able to recognize her. I grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the floor, and I also slapped her. My boyfriend had a smile on his face while all this was happening. Then I jumped on top of him and we start making out. Isn’t this weird? Hope you can help me interpret this dream.
Evelyn, Age 30, Miami, Florida

Katia interprets: This is a fun dream with two messages for you. Your boyfriend secretly wants you to fight for him, to show how passionate you are about maintaining your relationship. He may be a bit childish in this desire, but it is not unhealthy. The other possible meaning for you (and both can be true at once, as is the unique nature of dreams) is that the woman is an aspect of your own personality. There is a man-stealing desire within you, flirtatiousness toward other men, which you don’t like, that you want to slap around and get rid of. You know it will please your boyfriend if you conquer and neutralize this behavior pattern, probably because he is a bit jealous when you smile or are otherwise friendly with other men.

HAVING UNEXPECTED BABY YOU ARE UNPREPARED TO FEED
My name is Gina, 32 from California. I have this dream at least twice a month. It’s a little different each time but almost the same. In my dream I have a baby I wasn’t expecting. Like I was pregnant but didn’t know, and then all of a sudden I have this baby. And I’m trying to gather things to take care of it. In my dream I keep saying how happy I am but I am hurrying to go buy everything for the baby. But the weird part of the dream is that I keep forgetting to feed it. And the baby is crying. I bring it close to me and keep telling it how sorry I am for not feeding it. I tell myself in the dream why do you always forget to feed your baby and what a bad mother I am. Please HELP! This dream really bothers me after I wake up because I can’t seem to make sense of it.

Katia interprets:  Aha! The baby is a beloved but vulnerable part of your future, a long-term goal, a cherished project, that you feel bad about not seeing through. What future plan or vision for your life are you unprepared for? Every now and then an opportunity to nurture this vision comes suddenly and unasked into your life but you have never acted on it. You can’t keep focused enough to “feed” this wonderful thing. Is it something educational, some kind of occupational opportunity or other calling you keep passing up? The dream is trying to tell you you’re going to regret and feel guilty about this, so it’s time to take the plunge. Stock up on “food” for this great endeavor; prepare for the new and wonderful life that you very much want to give birth to. Next time this opportunity whatever it is, literally falls into your lap, you will have plenty of life force (baby milk) to energize it. The guilty feelings will be gone forever. Hard work and constant attention will be required, yes, as with all “babies”, but you are up to it. Good luck and get going!

To submit your own dream for interpretation, please visit http://thedreamzone.com