They are the grim subject of several centuries-old paintings, in which a black horse (or "night mare") hovers near a sleeping figure. They have been the terrifying theme of movies, past and present––from "I Wake Up Screaming" (1941), to the latest "Nightmare on Elm Street" flick. So, what exactly is a nightmare?
Trying to understand much of what has been written about the human phenomenon known as a nightmare is difficult for a layperson. Still, as one who habitually suffers bad dreams, it was a subject I wanted to know more about. Correct me if I'm wrong, but these are some of the impressions I have gathered:
What is a nightmare? A very disturbing dream, often causing the victim to waken in fear and anxiety, or cry out and thrash around in bed, or even sleepwalk.
Who has nightmares? Almost everyone, from time to time, beginning in early childhood and usually––but not always––diminishing with age.
What causes nightmares? In adults, a number of things, including certain drugs or withdrawal from them, stress in a person's waking life, such as problems in a marriage or relationship, changing jobs, moving, pregnancy and worry about finances, to name a few. Oddly enough, some people have nightmares completely unrelated to anything that happens during the day. Those individuals are thought to be more creative and sensitive than others, and instead of fearing them, are able to regard nightmares as merely interesting or even fascinating.
What can be done about nightmares? Depending on what's causing them, most will cease once the cause is removed, say the experts. Until that happens, anxiety during daylight hours can creep into our dreams, and cause us to wake up in a cold sweat. (Being frightened is usually what wakes us up, ending the nightmare.) I have read about something called "decoding" that can help the nightmare sufferer. This involves learning to analyze and interpret dreams to make them less frightening. One technique is to write down, or draw pictures of what appeared in the dream. If nightmares are unusually distressing or emotionally debilitating, a therapist may be the answer.
I'm fascinated by dreams that recur, night after night, and may be common to most, if not all of us. Here are some so-called "anxiety dreams" that I know about:
The "Student's" Nightmare: Almost everybody has had this one, and it can recur even years out of school (I still have it from time to time). You are running down the hall, frantically looking for your classroom because you know there is going to be an exam that day and you haven't studied for it. You can't remember the last time you were there, or what the class is about.
The "Actor's" Nightmare: Similar to the previous one, except that you are acting in a play, but you can't remember which one, or any of your lines. There is even a very funny One-Act called "The Actor's Nightmare" in which the male lead enters dressed for a Shakespeare play only to find that the rest of the cast is doing a Neil Simon, so he rushes off to change, then comes back on stage to find everyone in Elizabethan costume, and so it goes. If you are having this nightmare, you will likely wake up before the audience starts throwing things.
The "Help! I'm Falling!" Nightmare: You are in a very high place or, like Jimmy Stewart in the movie "Vertigo," you are chasing a fleeing figure across a rooftop when you slip and fall over the edge. It's a long way down, and you are screaming and clawing the air in terror, but before you hit the ground you wake up.
The "I Can't Get Away!" Nightmare: Something like the reverse of the bad dream above, because now it's you who are being pursued, running as fast as you can but losing ground to your pursuer, minute by minute. It's not uncommon to wake up out of breath.
The "Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!" Nightmare: I've had this one since childhood, probably beginning with seeing "The Wizard of Oz," and Judy Garland tripping down the yellow brick road, fearful of being attacked by wild animals.
Not exactly a nightmare, but something called the "Exploding Head Syndrome," or EHS, can disturb your sleep, too. It's typically a loud noise like a gun shot or a door slamming, or a telephone ringing which you think is real, but is only in your head.
credit:psychologytoday
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