What causes frequent nightmares?
Disease description:
I've noticed that I keep having nightmares, which causes poor sleep at night and leaves me feeling tired during the day. I'd like to ask the doctor, what are the common causes of frequent nightmares?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Lv Zhiqin
The reasons for frequently experiencing nightmares may involve multiple aspects, mainly including the following:
1. Psychological factors: Excessive mental tension, excitement, depression, fear, and other emotions, as well as excessive stress from life or work, may lead to a decline in sleep quality, thereby causing nightmares. Long-term exposure to anxious or tense environments may intensify these mental stimuli during sleep, resulting in frequent nightmares.
2. Environmental factors: Changes in the sleep environment, such as noise, bright lights, unpleasant odors, and improper sleeping postures, such as sleeping on the stomach or covering the head with a blanket, may affect sleep quality and lead to nightmares.
3. Medical factors: Certain medical conditions, such as hypoglycemia, heart disease, and sleep apnea syndrome, may also cause nightmares. These conditions may worsen at night, affecting sleep quality and thus causing nightmares.
4. Lifestyle habits: Unhealthy dietary habits, such as overeating at dinner or consuming stimulant beverages before bedtime, may also contribute to nightmares. Additionally, reading horror books or watching stimulating movies before sleep may leave strong impressions that trigger nightmares.
If nightmares severely affect quality of life, it is recommended to seek medical attention promptly.
