Stress dreams dont just interfere with sleep; they can also contribute to increased anxiety the next day.
Finding ways to manage stress effectively can help minimize the risk of having stress-related dreams.
Learn more about how to recognize the signs of a stress dream and how to identify the cause.
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Also, explore some tips for how to treat and cope with stress dreams.
Normal dreams tend to be more mundane.
They can range from pleasant to completely unmemorable.
Nightmares, on the other hand, are marked by feelings of intense fear orterror.
Unlike regular dreams or nightmares, stress dreams inspire feelings of anxiety, worry, frustration, or dread.
Such feelings often linger after waking and can grow worse as the source of the anxiety remains unresolved.
Causes of such stress can include:
Stressful world events can also contribute to stress dreams.
Sleep Reactivity
Sleep reactivity refers to a persons tendency to have their sleep disrupted by stress.
Researchers have found that pre-sleep thoughts dominate the content of dreams.
Anxiety Disorders
Having an anxiety disorder may increase the risk of experiencing stress dreams.
Cognitive Preparation
Stress dreams might not always be a bad thing, however.
One study found that dreaming about stressful events can help mentally prepare you to tackle the task.
For example, an anxious dream about an important exam may help you perform better on the actual test.
Types of Stress Dreams
The content of individual dreams varies considerably from one person to the next.
According to some research, the vast majority of dreams focus on events from the previous day.
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Go to bed and wake at the same time each day.
Halt screen time an hour before bed and create a restful nighttime routine.
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