Recurring Nightmares Are Much More Than Bad Dreams

All, or at least the vast majority, have had nightmares at some point. These are dreams that have terrifying content. They provoke anxiety and fear. The normal thing is for us to wake up suddenly and feel our heart in our hands. The feeling of dread persists, even after waking up. Feelings of confusion and sadness may also appear.

The causes that give rise to a nightmare are many. They arise due to the ingestion of certain substances, fatigue, eating problems or emotional difficulties. Whatever the case, it means that there is no good sleep hygiene.

The situation gets complicated when the nightmare becomes recurrent. Sometimes the same dream appears over and over, as if it were printed, marked. Other times the context changes, but the scheme remains basically identical. It is in these cases that it is important to pay attention to what is happening.

Punctual nightmares and recurring nightmares

Punctual nightmares are those dreams of anguish that appear sporadically. It is acceptable to have a nightmare every three months, this is within the range that can be considered “normal”. In these cases, each nightmare has a different context from the previous ones.

The causes for this type of nightmare to appear can be:

• A state of transient stress.
• Alcohol consumption.
• Consumption of psychoactives.
• Consumption of some medications with side effects on sleep.
• Waking up in the middle of the night frequently, causing fatigue.
• Dinner too late or too late before bed.

To control this type of nightmare it is enough to eliminate the factor that causes them. It is important to do this as they can otherwise affect your rest. It is best to have an early dinner and avoid drinking alcohol or other substances for at least two hours before bedtime.

Recurring nightmares, on the other hand, arise when a person is unable to recognize a conflict they have in real life. It can be a symptom of post-traumatic stress or the expression of a difficulty in accepting traits of oneself or certain situations. As this is in the unconscious, it can only emerge through dreams of anguish.

The most common contents of recurring nightmares

There are some recurring nightmares whose contents are very common. They represent typical human conflicts, although only each individual can specify their exact meaning. The most frequent contents and their basic meaning are as follows:

• Pursuits. It represents the difficulty of accepting a part of ourselves that we unconsciously judge to be dark or reprehensible.
• Falls. Expresses fear of feeling abandoned or unsupported.
• High speed. It has to do with feeling out of control.
• Evidences. The nightmare is related to failing, arriving late or unprepared. It alludes to the lack of self-confidence regarding a situation that must be faced in the present or immediate future.
• Paralysis. It is related to the feeling of being stuck, the lack of genuine goals and the difficulty in expressing emotions.
• Nudity. Usually a person dreams of being naked in public without others noticing. It has to do with insecurity in some aspect of life where there is a feeling of suffocation or lack of ability.

• Mutilation. They are nightmares where the person loses teeth, an arm, a leg, etc. They speak of a part of life that has been ignored or mistreated.
• Being stuck. It relates to aspects of life that are repressed or blocked.
• Drowning. There are usually large tides or turbulent waters. It has to do with an explosion of emotions, which cannot be expressed or even recognized.
• Baby or pet asking for attention. It speaks of an aspect of childhood, or a vulnerable element of the personality that demands attention.

While recurring nightmares are unpleasant and sometimes very terrifying, they actually need to be seen as a positive and valuable element. It’s a way for the unconscious to send a message about some subject that has been ignored and needs to be looked at.

Ideally, the conflict with ourselves that arises during the recurring nightmare will find a way to resolve it. The normal thing is that if this happens, the dream presents itself with similar content, but with a positive outcome. This indicates that the anguish has dissipated and that terrible dreams are no longer needed.

Images courtesy of Douglas Girard.