Why You May Have Bad Dreams

Highlights from the divine caroline website article - Six Reasons We Have Bad Dreams - By: Brie Cadman
To read in full go to:
http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22201/62493-six-reasons-dreams

1. Anxiety and Stress - are sometimes the cause of nightmares and bad dreams. A major surgery or illness, grieving over the loss of a loved one, suffering or witnessing an assault or major accident or post-traumatic stress disorder can be the cause of recurrent nightmares. Not all nightmare triggers have to be traumatic even everyday stress, can also cause nightmares.

2. Spicy Foods - may affect our nighttime rest, if not our tendency toward bad dreams. Spicy food can elevate body temperatures and thus disrupt sleep. Some people report bad dreams when they eat too close to bedtime thereby increasing metabolism and brain activity and maybe promping bad dreams or nightmares.

3. Fat Content of Food - Some research has indicated that the more high-fat food you consume during the day, the greater the chance that the amount and quality of your sleep may suffer.

4. Alcohol
Though alcohol will help you fall asleep in the short term, once it wears off, it can cause you to wake up prematurely. Excess consumption can also lead to nightmares and bad sleep.

5. Drugs
Some drugs, including antidepressants, barbiturates, and narcotics, can cause nightmares as a side effect those these usually cease once the drug is cleared from the system.

6. Illness
Illnesses that include fever, can often trigger nightmares. Other sleeping disorders, including apnea and narcolepsy, may also increase the incidence of bad dreams and nightmares.

There are also related stories at this link on:
Seven Common Dreams and What They Mean and Six Techniques for Remembering Dreams