Healthytalk8 Dreams and Health
Contents
Dreams and health both are allied to each other, whereas frequent dreams and nightmares and good dreams affect health in both ways.
What are dreams? – a dream is a story, images, and creation of your mind, which sometimes makes us confused, has no sense, is happy, sad, etc.
It starts visualizing during rapid eye movement (a stage of sleep where brain activity and eye movements are increased)
Dreams are not real, but dreams are a reflection of the reality which our brain makes during sleep from what we saw our whole day.
If you are under stress or anxious, it also affects your health, dreams, and sleep by losing weight, less motivation, and by given nightmares.
What are Nightmares?
Nightmares are scary, unsettling, and disturbing dreams that wake you and are allied with mental diseases like anxiety.
And both bad dreams and nightmares are different.
Nightmares are unsettled and disturbed dreams which awaken the individuals, but the bad dreams do not awaken you (3)
If you don’t know the reason behind it, then you may consult a psychiatrist, which will first diagnose by asking some questions and other tests.
Then the doctor treats you with some mental exercises and some prescribed medications.
What are Vivid and Lucid Dreams?
In some case, we remember some dream very clearly when we wake up, these are called vivid dreams, and they stay in our mind.
Vivid dreams can occur due to several reasons including:
- Pregnancy
- lack of sleep
- stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental issues
- certain medication side effects
- abuse use of alcohol, caffeine, and other drugs
Changes in women’s life such as periods, and pregnancy duration may also experience more vivid dreams (4)
A lucid dream is where a person can control the dream to some level, and dreamers know they are dreaming about something while sleeping.
Why Does This Occur?
There is no exact reason why we saw dreams, it depends on what you experienced or faced, but there are various statements for example:
If you experience bad dreams, then it’s believed that someone is not happy with you like paternal blame and someone’s evil eye on you.
But research says that dreams depend on what you experienced, faced and what you saw like:
- If someone experiences trauma is like someone’s death
- someone on stress
- poor mental health condition
- lack of sleep
- medications side effects
- dreams disorder like a nightmare
- excessive alcohol and other substance abuse
If you experienced frequent dreams whether it is bad or good, because in both ways frequent dreams affect health (6)
Consult a psychiatrist if you frequently experience bad dreams about death, being chased, ghosts, etc.
Links Between Dreams and Health
Dreams and health both are linked to each other but still are unknown beliefs and scientific reports are pending.
Affect on Mental Health
Dreams can be affected by mental health, and what you saw in your whole day, if someone has poor mental health, then it affects more.
Poor mental health like anxiety, PTSD, and depression experience worse nightmares, and those who have good mental health have happier dreams.
Overall, brain health is the only thing that influences dreams.
Affect on Physical Health
Physically suffering from pain also influence brain activities, which also leads to nightmares.
Studies report telling that patients who suffer from pain and injury may experience dreams about their symptoms, and pain.
Both physical and mental health can disturb brain activities, which leads to nightmares, happier, no sense and emotional dreams (3)
A study found that those who not getting enough are more likely to struggle with anxiety, stress, depression, sadness, etc
Overall, the concept of dreams and the effect of physical and mental health on dreams reports are still in the way.
If you experience nightmares and frequent dreams, so it’s vital to talk to a professional psychiatrist about your condition.
Affect on Sleep
Dreams do not affect sleep, but nightmares can affect sleep by waking you night at several times.
Several things can increase the risk of nightmares including:
- Stress
- excessive drugs use like alcohol
- medical condition
- poor mental health
- any trauma
So if nightmares affect you frequently, you should consult a professional psychiatrist for proper diagnosis and treatment help in it.
Tips for Managing Bad and Frequent Dreams
In this case, it’s better to consult a psychiatrist who will ask you about some Q&A like any trauma, alcohol use, past-related Q, etc.
See if you see vivid dreams, then you should take
- Take enough sleep: A good sleep cycle, where you have to take enough sleep, an adult should take 7 to 8 hours of sleep.
- Make a dream journal: where you have to note everything about dreams like timing, what dreams are seen more, etc.
- Avoid drugs: if you are obsessed with alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine, then you should avoid or reduce it to extend amount.
- Manage stress: Find a good way to manage stress, like exercise, yoga, meditation, or anything that makes you happy.
Another way if you experience nightmares and frequent dreams, whether it is bad or good includes:
- Practice good hygiene like taking a bath before bedtime, avoiding screens at bedtime, and caffeine intake (4)
- Good sleeping environment: the bedroom should be cool and quiet which stimulates better sleep.
- Same-time sleep: a person should sleep at the same time every day, where the body has to follow the same sleeping pattern.
- Practice relaxation techniques: like – deep breathing, yoga, and meditation
- Talk to a psychiatrist: If all these ways are not enough, then you should consult a professional psychiatrist.
- Avoid trigger things: After diagnosis, the doctor also tells you your trigger things like a certain food, your stress, medicine, etc.
- Keep a dream journal: If you experience bad dreams, then make a journal, and then work on it, and understand its meaning.
Psychiatrists also advise you to a dream journal, which helps you to understand your dreams, like why they trigger frequently.
Down Line
Dreams and health both are linked to each other, bad dreams disturb your sleep at night, On the other hand, well make you happeir.
In these cases, make sure to consult a psychiatrist with the help of them you find your reasons, then treatment will do by your reason.
For enough sleep, keep your bad room cool and slient, and make sure to maintain good hygiene before sleep time.
