# Lucid Dreaming > Dream Control >  >  How to avoid nightmares

## Torrent

Well, i would bet nobody remembers me, but ive been conducting a month-long experiement with dreams.

For some reason, even with keeping a dream journal, i cannot remember a single detail of my recent dreams, so lucid dreaming is out of the question for me.

BUT i have figured out:

Sleeping on your back can induce non-lucid dreams, or even nightmares.

Nightmares occur most often when sleeping on your back, because when gravity is pulling down on your lungs, oxygen is shorter to the brain.  Which is the same as if it is extremely hot, breath is short, and lack of oxygen can induce bad dreams.  Sleeping on your stomache however, is different, because of the position of your lungs in relation to your head, and spine.

I myself have nightmares just about every other night, in which i cannot gain lucidity, because im frozen with fear.  And sure enough, every time i awake frozen with fear, im lying on my back looking at the ceiling.  And if you wake up from a nightmare suddenly, you can experience hallutionations.  I'm assuming you'd like to hear some of mine?

lol

>My glowing clock was spitting fire
>Some weird biting demon face was coming out of my second pillow.
>The ceiling was melting
>My cat's head was spinning

yes, all very frightening.  But from my past experiences with nightmares and hallutionations, i knew that they would go away if i just wait, and come back to reality.

So what i would say, to avoid nightmares, would be to:

>Lie on your sides or stomache while sleeping
>Try to be completely relaxed, not stressed out.
>If any pets sleep on your bed, pet them before you go to sleep
>Have at least one small amount of light in your room, may it be a nightlight, or a street lamp coming thru the window.
>Pitch black darkness is horrible when waking from a nightmare, so just as a precaution


My lucidity in dreams i've given up on, so if anybody wants to try to help me gain lucid dreams, feel free to pm me.

Questions? Comments?  Additions?


-Thx
Torrent

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## Jupilér

well I"m sorry to hear....but when i sleep on my back i never have nightmares... and when i WILD i always lay on my back...if i don't it wont work.

Jup

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## Tolin

hallucinations or is that during false awakenings?

and are you sure if lung positioning can affect the dream in a way to make them bad or good.

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## AirRick101

Maybe that's just your own association with sleeping on yoru back.  It's a pretty far out theory.  Many people feel most comfortable lying on their back, and that relaxation will translate into the dreams.

I personally enjoy sleeping on my stomach, though (I heard it's not as good for you, but oh wel).  But i very rarely get nightmares sleeping in any position.

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## juroara

I told my sister to take down her dream catcher. How could something thats meant to trap nightmares be a bad little enchantment, even if it doesnt work?

Nightmares aren't BAD. Nor should you AVOID them. Nightmares have meanings, and always mean something. And if you believe in spirits or angels, some nightmares are messages. And if you don't listen to the message, that nightmare can become real instead.

Nightmares can also be manifestations of your fears. You dont avoid it. You conquer it.

Repetive nightmares likewise can be a sign that there is something physically wrong with your body. Or your life style. Point being...the 'problem' isn't the nightmare.

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## littlelisa

Hm.. I think what you said is correct with me because I never ever sleep on my back. I think it's uncomfortable and weird for me, no reason why, and I almost NEVER get nightmares. And the only nightmares I remember waking up from I was sleeping on my back. Maybe I'm just weird.

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## Torrent

> _Originally posted by littlelisa_
> *Hm.. I think what you said is correct with me because I never ever sleep on my back. I think it's uncomfortable and weird for me, no reason why, and I almost NEVER get nightmares. And the only nightmares I remember waking up from I was sleeping on my back. Maybe I'm just weird.*



well if we both have that type of sleeping in common, then you're not weird at all.

Every single nightmare i remember, i've woken up on my back, staring at my ceiling.

And for all of u that dont beleive the lung positioning things i was saying, i asked a psychologist, and a doctor if that could affect dreams, and they both said that it is a definite possibility that laying on your back, can compress your ribs (or some weird physical change), and will affect your dreams (good or bad).

So i guess you guys are right, and that it can work either way for anybody, and it just happens to be bad for me and littlelisa.

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## BeautifulDreamer

I disagree. Most of my lds are when I'm on my back.

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## Leia

Well, IMHO, maybe sleeping on your back could cause nightmares for some people because of the reasons Torrent specified, but maybe for others it's a way of inducing lucid dreams because of the way the dreams felt.

However, Torrent, although you may have woken up on your back staring at the ceiling after a lucid dream, what about when you fell asleep? I don't know about you, but when I fall asleep, I could fall asleep on my side, and wake up tied in a knot   ::lol::  ... maybe you turned over on your back right before waking up.

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## Lonewolf

yea well sleeping on you stomach is certainly not good for your back. Trust me, I have seen it several times in health magazines which say that you should, if possible, avoid sleeping that way. 

When I was little I always slept on my stomach, but then while I was sleeping, my face would go right into the pillow and I wouldn't be able to breathe and I would have to struggle to wake myself up. It happened several times, and it was pretty awful.    ::makeitstop::

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## arne saknussemm

Sleeping on your side with your knees drawn up is OK for your back.

I never sleep on my back, because if I do, I'll probably suffer sleep paralysis and attract an "Old Hag."

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## Lonewolf

> _Originally posted by arne saknussemm_
> *Sleeping on your side with your knees drawn up is OK for your back.*



Yes thats true, and also that position is good if you have a nervous stomach.

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