How to Stop Bad Dreams and Sleep Better

There are many schools of thought about what a dream is or why we dream, but these philosophies don't help those of us with nightmares and chronic bad dreams. When I was little I had horrific dreams and woke crying almost every night, but I rarely have a bad dream now. Hopefully these steps can help you slip off to sleep with a sweet dream.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• tea
• a television remote
• a dream catcher

1. Set a Bedtime.
   Pick a time and stick to it. Giving your body a pattern and schedule will help regulate everything, including your dreams.

2. Turn off the TV
   Pick up the remote and shut it off! Try not to watch TV (or even read for that matter) for at least one hour before going to bed. The stimulation provides your mind with many things to dwell over and even if pleasant they can lead to a weird, strange or bad dream. Also, the stimulation of the optic nerves prevents sleep (they want to keep going!)

3. Have a Cuppa
   Make a cup of decaf tea or warm milk. Sip and relax. Allow all your worries for the day to drift away so that they can't slip into your dream.

4. Meditate
   When you lay down to sleep, focus only on your breathing. Keep it rhythmic and steady. Count your breaths, let nothing else enter your mind. This is basically counting sheep; it's a dull, numbing activity that bores you and allows you to sleep and dream without making lists, planning or thinking about things.

5. Keep a Dream Journal
   When you wake, write down any dream you had, good or bad. Use the journal to confront and analyze your dreams. Are they the result of junk food before bed? Or something deeper? Introspection can often defeat a bad dream from ever coming back.

6. Ward them Off
   When all else fails buy a dream catcher. Allow the webs to trap your bad dreams and protect you from their harmful effects. Don't worry, good dreams float right on through.

Tips & Warnings

• "Think pink thoughts" when you wake in a cold sweat. Nice thoughts may keep the bad dream at bay.

[davida8575]

on 8/29/2009 I have this problem occasionally, as a result of minor Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from Iraq. Good suggestions though.

[Brigid]

on 8/25/2009 what wonderful ideas with tea, milk, dream catchers and what you watch just before bedtime is important oh and eating late, I know that is not good.