Natural Treatmentts for Nightmares

As someone who suffers from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, I spent a large portion of my life plagued by nightmares, which struck at least a few times per week, and, during stressful times, several times per night. After years of waking up in cold sweats and sometimes even sleeping with a light on, I found that modifications to my lifestyle, a balanced diet, and a few herbal supplements helped me to conquer repeated nightmares. I was able to recover from my sleep anxiety disorder naturally, without the unnecessary use of sedatives or pharmaceutical drugs.

Diet Modification

Many people with nightmares may find that their sleep becomes more peaceful if they avoid certain foods in the first few hours before bed. It may be that mild food allergies and stomach upsets cause the person to struggle during sleep. This may cause the body to perceive that it is in danger, which the sleeper's mind translates into a nightmare. Consider keeping a journal of what you eat each day to see if a certain vegetable, animal product, or spice seems to cause worsened nightmares.

The most important diet modification for ending nightmares is the elimination of caffeine and alcohol from your diet, especially near bed time. As a hardcore coffee lover, I struggled to give up my morning cup of coffee, but the frequency of my nightmares decreased by half as soon as I cut caffeine out of my morning routine. Additionally, while many people drink alcohol under the belief that it helps with nightmares by relaxing the mind and body, it may contribute to nightmares for some people.

Meditation and Relaxation Exercises

My nightmare disorder hit an all-time peak during pregnancy, when many women experience a sharp rise in the frequency of nightmares and vivid dreams owing to hormonal fluctuations and stress. I would have hardly gotten a full night's sleep at all had it not been for the addition of a simple relaxation ritual each night: a warm bubble-bath. Different rituals for meditation and relaxation will work for different people. While some may enjoy a hot bath, others might benefit from a yoga session or positive visualization.

If you suffer from nightmares, it is not a good idea to watch movies or listen to heavy music as you fall asleep. These will distract and cloud your mind, leading to worsened insomnia and more frequent nightmares. Instead of relaxing you, these techniques will actually augment your condition because they only temporarily distract you-- rather than acting to truly address the problem.

 Following a Predictable Schedule

Your mind and body benefit from predictability. If your sleep cycle operates on a totally unpredictable schedule, your mind becomes unable to cope with sleep, resulting in increased nightmares. The healthiest way to sleep is to follow the "early to bed, early to rise" mantra. As a species, we were designed to sleep at night and awaken during the day, and our biochemistry can misfire when our schedules do not match our ingrained biology.

If at all possible, eliminate irregularities in your sleep schedule. Try to give up your habit of sleeping in on the weekends, and make an effort to get exposure to sunlight early in the morning. When an outside interference, like a nightshift job or a sleepless baby, keep you from being able to realistically follow a predictable schedule, it becomes even more important to include meditation and relaxation into your sleep ritual.

Natural Supplements

As an herbalist, I was glad to have knowledge and access to an array of natural sleep aids that helped to eliminate nightmares without the unwanted effects of pharmaceutical drugs. The relaxant, anti-anxiety amino acid L-Tryptophan and its close relative, 5-HTP, are helpful and safe supplements that can eliminate nightmares and also alleviate daytime symptoms of depression and anxiety. GABA, another amino acid, is also a relaxant that can tackle nightmares and related conditions.

Additionally, herbal sedatives including chamomile and valerian can work wonders for nightmare sufferers. While valerian has worked wonders for many of my clients and is beleived to result in more restful, peaceful sleep, I found that it seemed to worsen my nightmares. From my research, this seems to be a very unusual reaction, but I avoid it because of this. Chamomile, however, has done wonders to alleviate both insomnia and nightmares in my case, so I have a cup of it each night before bed. Another herbal supplement, kanna, is highly effective in combatting nightmares if it is taken in the morning. In my case, it seems to defeat daytime anxiety to help me with bedtime relaxation.

As always, talk to your doctor before taking any herbal supplements, especially if you are taking any medications, especially sedatives and antidepressants, as these can intereact harmfully with these herbs. If your nightmares persist in spite of natural, home treatments, talk to your doctor. They may be a sign of an underlying condition, such as depression, sleep apnea, anxiety, or a hormonal imbalance.