No one likes being jolted awake from a deep sleep, especially when what riled you up was an assailant, a snake in the bed, or being engulfed by flames. Bad dreams—or worse, nightmares—aren’t just annoying; when reoccurring, they can disrupt a good night’s sleep, and sometimes, life.

    On the spectrum of dreams, missing an important exam or showing up naked to work pales in comparison to nightmares, which are defined as bad dreams that wake the sleeper. They occur during rapid eye movement (REM) late in the evening and because we jerk awake during them, we usually remember all too clearly the fear, anxiety, and horrors.

    Though more common among children, nightmares and bad dreams happen throughout life. But is there anything we can do to prevent the bad things from creeping into our sleep?

    1. Anxiety and Stress

    Anxiety and stress, often as the result of a traumatic life event, are sometimes the cause of nightmares and bad dreams. According to the International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD), a major surgery or illness, grieving over the loss of a loved one, and suffering or witnessing an assault or major accident can trigger bad dreams and nightmares. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is also a common cause of recurrent nightmares.

    Not all nightmare triggers have to be traumatic, however. Everyday stressors, such as job or financial anxiety, or major life transitions such as moving or divorce, can also cause nightmares.

    2. Spicy Foods

    When and what we eat may affect our nighttime rest, if not our tendency toward bad dreams. A small study published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology had a group of healthy men eat spicy meals before bed on some evenings and compared their quality of sleep on nights where they had non-spiced meals. On the spicy nights, the subjects spent more time awake and had poorer quality sleep. The explanation is that spicy food can elevate body temperatures and thus disrupt sleep. This may also be the reason why some people report bad dreams when they eat too close to bedtime. Though few studies have looked at it, eating close to bedtime increases metabolism and brain activity and may prompt bad dreams or nightmares.

    3. Fat Content of Food

    Though far from conclusive, 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. A small study published in 2007 in Psychological Reports found that the dreams of people who ate a high amount of organic food differed from those who ate “junk foods.” The authors hypothesize that certain foods may negatively influence dreaming.

    4. Alcohol

    Though alcohol is a depressant that will help you fall asleep in the short term, once its effects wear off, it can cause you to wake up prematurely. Excess consumption can also lead to nightmares and bad sleep; nightmares are also a common occurrence for those going through alcohol withdrawal.

    5. Drugs

    Some drugs, including antidepressants, barbiturates, and narcotics, can cause nightmares as a side effect. For instance, a 2008 study published in the journal Pyschopharmacology looked at ketamine, a drug used in anesthesia and recreationally, and found that compared with a placebo, ketamine use resulted in more dream unpleasantness and increased the incidence of bad dreams. Similarly, anyone who has traveled to a country where malaria is endemic may have taken Lariam and had some interesting nightmares associated with it. Nightmares usually cease once the drug is cleared from the system.

    6. Illness

    Illnesses that include fever, such as the flu, can often trigger nightmares. And other sleeping disorders, including apnea and narcolepsy, may also increase the incidence of bad dreams and nightmares.

    While bad dreams and nightmares are considered normal responses in dealing with everyday experiences, the IASD recommends consultation with a therapist if they last in intensity and severity. But trying to eliminate these six factors first may be the best place to start in your quest to sweeten your dreams and chase the nighttime demons away.

    没有人愿意在熟睡中被弄醒,尤其是被一个攻击者,床上一条蛇,或者被火焰吞噬而惊醒。糟糕的梦-更甚者, 噩梦远不止令人厌烦,当再次发生的时候,他们不光扰乱了一个美好夜晚的睡眠, 甚至有时候影响到生活。

    在梦的不同类型中, 与噩梦相比, 错过一个重要的考试或者裸体出现在同事面前并把睡者惊醒的梦称作糟糕的梦。这种梦一般发生在半夜,还伴随着眼睛快速的转动, 而且由于我们会从梦中突然醒来, 所以我们经常能清楚的记得梦中的忧虑,不安和恐惧。

    虽说小孩经常做噩梦和糟糕的梦, 但是他们会伴随我们一生.有什么办法能摆脱这些闯入睡眠的糟糕梦呢?

    1. 焦虑和压力

    焦虑和压力常常是由生活中外伤引起的, 有时候也会成为噩梦和糟糕梦的源头。根据国际睡梦研究协会的一项研究,一个大手术或一场大病, 因失去所爱的人而悲痛,遭遇或者目击了一次伤害或一场事故都会导致糟糕梦和噩梦的发生。外伤性神经失调也是造成噩梦不断的普遍原因。

    不是所有噩梦都是一些外伤造成的, 然而, 每天的压力, 比如工作和经济上带来的忧虑, 或者生活的变迁, 比如搬家, 离婚都会引发噩梦的产生。

    2. 辛辣食物

    睡前什么时间吃的什么也会影响到我们的夜间休息, 如果不常常做糟糕梦的话。发表于《国际精神心理学》杂志的一项小型报告对一组健康男性进行了测试, 让他们在一些晚上睡前吃一些辛辣的东西, 并将睡眠质量与没吃辛辣食物的时候进行了对比。吃辛辣食物的晚上他们醒着的时间较长, 睡眠质量也较差，原因是辛辣食物会提升体温而影响睡眠。这个原因也能解释为什么有的人说在临睡前吃的太多的时候会做糟糕的梦。虽然也有一些研究表明在越接近睡觉的时候吃东西会增强新陈代谢,加强大脑活动,从而引起了糟糕的梦或噩梦。

    3. 食物中的脂肪

    虽然还没有一个定论, 一些研究已经表明白天的吃的食物脂肪越高, 睡不好觉的机率越高, 质量越差。《心理学报告》在2007年的研究发现吃了较多有机食物的人的睡眠与那些吃了“垃圾食品”的人的不同。该研究作者强调说某些食物会对做梦产生负面影响。

    4. 酒精

    尽管酒精跟镇静剂一样在短时间内会帮助你入睡, 但一旦镇定作用失效了, 它会让你较早醒来。饮酒过量也会导致噩梦和糟糕的睡眠；对于那些戒掉酒的人来说, 噩梦也是会经常发生的。

    5. 药物

    一些药物,包括抗抑郁剂, 巴比妥酸和麻醉剂, 作为副作用也能导致噩梦。例如, 2008年《精神药理学》杂志对克他命(一种用于坏梦的发生机率麻醉和保健的药物)进行的研究发现与安慰剂相比, 使用可他命会导致梦中更多的不快, 提升噩梦发生的机率。同理, 任何一个去一个发生疟疾的国家旅行的人吃了甲氟喹后,就会做一些与之有关的噩梦。通常, 药效失效的时候噩梦也会随之消失。

    6. 疾病

    疾病包括发烧在内, 比如流感, 经常能引起噩梦。其他的睡眠失常, 包括呼吸暂停和猝睡症, 都会导致糟糕梦和噩梦的发生。

    在看待日常经历时候,糟糕梦和噩梦通常被认为是种正常反映。如果它们不断加剧逐渐恶化,国际睡梦研究协会建议向医生咨询。但是首先努力去摆脱这6个因素是开始将梦境变甜，驱走夜间恶魔的最好方法。