Some people experience some very realistic and terrifying nightmares. Unlike dreams, there is a source of possible reasons we are having nightmares. Even though they may seem random, they actually prey on the build up of emotions we have that we suppress. You can think of a nightmare as a hungry wolf, when you have fears that are bothering you, the wolf can smell it and waits to strike in your dreams.
Another reason for nightmares is that you may have low rationality. Healthline states that children have more nightmares than adults because they can’t comprehend consciousness and also have very low rationality. It does make sense, that a person who lets themselves believe fantasy aspects in real life would also experience vivid nightmares consistently. Parasomnia would be the correct term for a person experiencing consistent nightmares. It’s defined as a type of sleep disorder that involves undesirable experiences that occur while you’re falling asleep, during sleep or when you’re waking up.
If you are experiencing parasomnia, the best advice for you would be to face your fears. Unconsciously, you have something that is eating away at you, like the wolf in the previous example. You have to fight the wolf. Even more, you should probably avoid any typical scary content, to keep you at peace. If the nightmares do get too intense to the point where you can’t handle it, go to sleep with something specific on your body. When dreaming, check to see if this specific thing is still on your body. If it’s not there, you are dreaming and have nothing to worry about. Remember that you are in full control.
