6 Tips to Stop Nightmares and Feel More Rested

Nightmares can affect your sleep quality, but there are several things you can try to get rid of them. Image Credit: Adene Sanchez/E+/GettyImages

Free falling into a black void. Teeth falling out. Being naked in public. Most of us can recall waking from a nightmare in a cold sweat.

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Indeed, between 50 and 85 percent of adults report having experienced the occasional nightmare, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).

While nightmares become less frequent as you age, you might have noticed an uptick in nightmares in the past year. That's because stress, anxiety and trauma — which have been ever-present during the novel coronavirus pandemic — can trigger nightmares, per the Mayo Clinic.

Though the sporadic bad dream is nothing to worry about, recurring nightmares can become a nuisance, especially if they're sabotaging your shut-eye.

"Nightmares negatively impact our sleep quality because they involve an awakening," Patricia Haynes PhD, a behavioral sleep medicine specialist, tells LIVESTRONG.com. When you rouse from sleep feeling anxious or with a racing heart, going back to bed can be difficult. And the more your sleep is disrupted, the less rested you'll feel in the morning.

In addition, fear of nightmares may cause you to avoid sleep. This can lead to sleep deprivation or a pattern of disturbed sleep that can, in some cases, even turn into insomnia, according to the Sleep Foundation.

To make matters worse, nightmares may aggravate existing mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, which are already associated with symptoms like sleep disruption.

Here, Haynes suggests strategies to nix nightmares for a relaxing night's rest.

1. Get Stress Under Control

Stress and anxiety can provoke nightmares, so finding ways to manage these feelings can be helpful.

"Stress management includes practicing deep breathing and mindfulness, reducing demands at work or home, taking breaks and cultivating positive relationships," Haynes says.

This advice is nothing new, Haynes says, but just because you've heard it before doesn't mean you're doing it. That's why she encourages ​prioritizing​ stress management in your day-to-day.