Hello everyone😊
In this article on wellness, I share methods for managing nightmares.
Having nightmares, especially almost every night, is not fun at all, they most likely disrupt your sleep schedule and you might wake up, also several times during the night, panicked, with a fast heart beat or sweaty, at least that is my case.
Nightmares can also have an impact on your day ahead, making it harder for you to focus at work or enjoy a day off, for example.
Even though it’s challenging, there are healthy ways to manage the post-nightmare effect. I’ll share with you some methods that are helping me along the way, but remember that we are all different so what might help me could not help you or vice versa! 🙂
Healthy Coping Mechanisms
1) Cold, quick shower
Many times after waking up from a difficult nightmare, I find myself drenched in sweat. Being all wet makes it uncomfortable to go back to sleep, so I commit to take a cold, refreshing shower! Whether it is in the middle of the night or early in the morning, taking a cold, quick but nice shower helps me to feel better and calmer❤️
2) Deep breathing exercises
Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night startled by a nightmare, other times I wake up in pain and anxious before the alarm clock rings. When I am that panicked I try my best to focus on my breath. Breathing is crucial to start regaining inner balance, and tranquility.
There are many different kind of breathing techniques, useful to calm down one’s nervous system❤️such as the Square Breathing exercise or the 4-7-8 breathing technique. I explain these techniques in my article Navigating Depression: 6 strategies that help me! The breathing techniques are the first strategy, by the way 🙂 Here is the link: https://feelinggoodwithsofy.wordpress.com/2025/05/16/navigating-depression-6-strategies-that-help-me/
3) Journaling
Sometimes, when I wake up, I do not remember the difficult dream I just had at all, but I know it was bad because I woke up several times during the night or I have a pounding headache, for example. Other times I remember at the beginning and then I just do not remember it anymore, and then there are times when I do remember perfectly what happened in a nightmare.
That is why journaling is also such an important tool for me after having had a difficult dream. Whether I remember my dreams or not, I write them down on paper, I also put down on paper my thoughts, worries and etc. I think it’s a very good strategy so I can remember later what I have dreamed so I can then talk to my therapist❤️
4) Asking support from someone I trust
I have learned from experience that keeping everything inside me and pretending everything is fine, in this case after a night of nightmares, is not such a good idea.ù
Talking to someone you trust like a close friend, a family member, or a professional can help ease the pain within you❤️
I’d like to share with you an article I wrote a while ago about how asking for help is never a sign of failure: https://feelinggoodwithsofy.wordpress.com/2024/12/23/asking-for-help-is-never-a-sign-of-failure/
Love and Light❤️✨
Sofia Lena😊
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