Do you ever wake up and feel instantly grateful that the haunting scenes running through your head weren’t real? Perhaps you were being chased or knew an attack was imminent. “There are often some threat of death or injury or annihilationand you’re trying to escape” tore nielsenPhD, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Montreal and director of the Laboratory of Dreams and Nightmares there, said Weather in 2018.
Whatever it is that’s got you sweating, nightmares aren’t fun, and frequent bad dreams can cause health problems, according to Weather. The good news is that there are a few ways to prevent them, and one of them has to do with something you might be doing right before bed. Read on to find out which common habit could be ruining your sleep.
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If you eat late at night, you could be setting yourself up for a scare. “First of all, it is important to clarify that light snacks before bed should not drastically disturb sleep. Nightmares are often related to large meals before bed, especially those that contain sugary treats, fatty foods, simple carbohydrates and spicy ingredients. Po-Chang HsuDoctor of Medicine and Medical Content Expert at SleepingOcean.com, account Better life.
How is that? “At least a lot of food (or high-calorie foods) means that the body will spend too much energy trying to digest it instead of sleeping,” she explains. “This usually leads to decreased quality of sleep, which can trigger nightmares.” A full stomach before sleep also leads to a higher body temperature and metabolism, she says, noting, “Both of these can cause increased brain activity during REM sleep, leading to nightmares.”
While there is a correlation between heavy meals and nightmares, nightmares after heavy eating are not inevitable, Hsu says. A 2015 study conducted by the University of Montreal showed mixed results, with 9.5 percent of participants reporting a link between eating late and nightmares.
That said, even if your late-night microwaved food isn’t causing monsters to chase you, there are still plenty of reasons to kick the habit. Hsu says that heavy meals before bed can cause nighttime discomfort; while he tries to digest everything, it can be more difficult to get restful sleep. “Too much food (or certain foods) can cause acid reflux, which leads to sleep disruptions,” he says. A good rule of thumb is to stop eating about three hours before going to bed, according to experts at the Cleveland Clinic.
When you really need to snack on something, have a snack that contains low-glycemic carbohydrates and protein, advises brittany lubeckMS, DR, nutritional consultant in Oh so flawless. “And foods that naturally contain melatonin and tryptophan it can even improve sleep quality,” she says.
Hsu suggests yogurt and fruits like bananas and grapes. “Grapes, in particular, contain melatonin, which is a natural hormone that your body also secretes to help you sleep,” she explains.
Did you finish your dinner early enough and still face demons in the middle of the night? According to WebMD, nightmares in adults are usually spontaneousbut some things besides eating late at night can contribute to its frequency.
Certain medications are associated with nightmares, including antidepressants, narcotics, and some blood pressure medications. WebMD also says that medication and substance withdrawal, sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and certain sleep disorders can also trigger nightmares.
Fortunately, if your nightmares are frequent and interfere with your daily life, there are treatments. These include medical treatment, stress or anxiety treatment, imaging rehearsal therapy and medications, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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