Nightmares are vivid, frightening dreams that occur during REM sleep and can affect both children and adults. This article explores their causes, as well as sleep paralysis, sleeping positions, and how horses manage to sleep standing up.
Causes of Nightmares ⏱ 0:01
•On waking, we feel our heart pounding and can usually recollect the nightmare.•Nightmares usually occur during the REM stage of sleep.•Even though they are more common in children, many adults also experience them.•Having late-night snacks increases our metabolism, triggering more brainwaves and causing nightmares.•Certain medications like blood pressure medications, antidepressants, etc., can also cause nightmares.•If we are sleep deprived or have certain sleep disorders, this can also lead to nightmares.•Stress and anxiety can also lead to adult nightmares.•People who have experienced a huge trauma or are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder can also suffer from nightmares.•Eating healthy, sleeping on a schedule, and staying stress-free can help us stay away from nightmares.Sleep Paralysis ⏱ 1:03
•Sleep paralysis is a condition in which we are conscious but temporarily unable to move or speak.•It can usually occur when we suddenly wake up during REM sleep.•There are four stages of sleep; one of them is Rapid eye movement sleep, i.e., REM sleep. In this stage, we dream.•Researchers suggest that when we enter REM sleep, two chemicals, glycine and GABA, "switch off" the activity of cells in the brain that allow our muscles to move.•This is actually beneficial because paralyzed muscles prevent us from enacting our dreams in reality and getting hurt.•However, sometimes we suddenly wake up during REM sleep. But if glycine and GABA are still active, we are temporarily unable to move, even though we are conscious. This is called sleep paralysis.Best Sleeping Position and How Horses Sleep ⏱ 2:05
•Sleeping on our back allows our spine to rest in a neutral position, preventing neck and back pain. Also, as the face is not pressed against the pillow, it avoids over wrinkling. However, this position is prone to more snoring.•Sleeping on our stomach prevents snoring but makes it difficult to maintain a neutral spine position. It puts pressure on our joints and muscles, leading to numbness, neck and back pain, etc.•Sleeping on our side keeps the spine elongated and prevents neck and back pain. Sleeping especially on the left side decreases acid reflux, improves blood circulation, digestion, etc. However, side sleeping presses our face against the pillow and increases the chances of wrinkling. Some people even curl up tightly while sleeping on one side. This restricts breathing.•Since all positions have advantages and disadvantages, there is no best position. But if sleeping in a specific position is causing problems, you can switch to other positions for better results.•Horses can sleep lying down, but being massive in size, they wouldn't be able to get up and run from predators. Also, lying down for long restricts blood circulation, putting pressure on their organs. Hence, through evolution, they developed a mechanism called stay apparatus, in which they lock the ligaments and tendons of their legs to avoid falling, thus helping them take small naps while standing.Key Takeaways
•Nightmares usually occur during REM sleep and are more common in children, but many adults also experience them.•Causes of nightmares include late-night snacks, certain medications, sleep deprivation, sleep disorders, stress, anxiety, trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder.•Sleep paralysis is a condition where we are conscious but temporarily unable to move or speak, often occurring when we suddenly wake up during REM sleep while glycine and GABA are still active.•There is no best sleeping position because all have advantages and disadvantages; horses use a stay apparatus to lock their legs and take small naps while standing.Conclusion
Understanding the causes of nightmares and sleep phenomena like sleep paralysis can help us improve our sleep quality. Eating healthy, sticking to a sleep schedule, and managing stress are simple steps to keep nightmares at bay.
