The little-known mystery behind the nightmares, science is also difficult to explain

Perhaps everyone has had a nightmare and is haunted by it after waking up. Many people don't even go back to sleep for fear of having nightmares. A thing that seems very familiar to people, but it seems to contain a whole universe of fantasy, mystery, even with today's modern science and technology, it is impossible to fully explain it.

What is a dream?

Dreams are stories and images that our minds create during sleep.

Every person on this planet experiences at least 3 to 6 dreams every night, with each dream lasting about 5 to 20 minutes. Dreams can be bizarre, romantic, unusual, sexually related or in some cases, just plain scary - they are called "nightmares".

Why do we dream?

Sigmund Freud, one of the fathers of modern psychology, believed that dreams were a way for the mind to release repressed thoughts and emotions.

Today, however, researchers are divided on opinion. Some argue that dreams have no meaning, while others believe that it is the brain's subconscious process for emotional release or mental trauma.

Nightmares, in particular, are a subject that confounds scientists, as they are not only very confusing but also quite distressing.

Why do we have nightmares?

It's hard to say definitively why people have nightmares, although we do know that they most commonly occur during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

Although scientists can't pinpoint the exact cause, they can link several factors that increase the likelihood of having scary dreams.

Nightmares triggers include stress, anxiety, trauma, lack of sleep, taking certain medications, drug abuse, reading a lot of books or watching scary movies.

In some cases, a person can have nightmares so often that they are diagnosed with a "nightmare disorder".

How can I stop having nightmares?

According to scientists, it is not possible to completely eliminate nightmares.

However, there are several ways to treat dreams depending on the hypothetical cause, according to researchers at Harvard University.

"First, the cause of stress, if any, must be identified. If a stressor is identified, effective ways of managing it must be found," the researchers explain.

"For drug-induced nightmares, it may be necessary to change the dose or use different medications."

And some studies have also found that people who have nightmares can relieve their own discomfort by changing their sleeping position.

Specifically, associate professor at Hong Kong Yan University, Dr. Calvin Kai-Ching Yu, found that people who sleep on their backs have more nightmares and have a harder time remembering their dreams.

"Different sleeping positions can put pressure on different parts of the body, and bodily sensations can be the source of dreams," Yu said.

What position should I sleep in?

You should sleep in the position you feel most comfortable so as not to affect the quality of sleep.

However, a study led by Dr. Mehmet Yucel Agargun at YuZunCu Yil University found that people who slept on the right side had safer and more relaxing dreams.

Meanwhile, sleeping on the left side can cause intense emotions and feelings of insecurity. If you are a person who likes to lie on your stomach, you may find yourself having more sexual dreams.

The most common nightmares:

Even though nightmares are not fun, the comforting thing is that there are many people just like you

A study of 2,000 people found that the most common nightmare was a fall, the second most common was being chased, followed by death, and the fourth was feeling lost.

To be in fifth and sixth place is to feel trapped and attacked.

This is followed by dreams of missing an important event, waking up late, the death of a loved one, and constant trauma.

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