Thread: Nightmares

Maybe it would help to listen to some calming music or white noise before bed and while she is sleeping.

I agree with Joy. Some kind of before sleep ritual is great. Could be reading a book, listening to calming music. Anything that reduces stress and lets you forget about your worries. It's important to go to sleep early as well. The later you go to bed the less quality of sleep you'll get. A lot of nightmares can actually be caused by insomnia which raises anxiety and now you don't want to go to sleep. Bad cycle. A good sleep time and calming ritual would go a long way.

Just like an ongoing painful physical symptom, nightmares should be paid attention to and appropriate action taken to resolve the underlying situation which is causing them.

Although generally rare, some nightmares can be warning of the danger of a developing physical illness.

Or if the nightmares suddenly began to occur, it’s also possible that a chemical or other substance had been introduced into the house; for example, fumes from chemicals in poorly manufactured furniture or from faulty heating equipment etc.

Or some medications can cause nightmares.

But the most common cause of nightmares is that the dreamer is under some pretty severe stress for whatever reason.

In any case, it’s probably best if you could gently persuade your friend to see a doctor or perhaps a counsellor so that the possible causes of her nightmares could be looked into in a thorough way.

Anyway, I hope that these ideas can be helpful in some way. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have.