Identifying the causes of disturbing and sound sleep. Anxious dreams

Reasons for not getting a good night's rest. Symptoms and treatment methods. Calming, healthy sleep– vital required function human body, during which psychological processing of daily activities occurs, internal metabolic processes, self-healing of organs occurs after severe working day. Poor sleep at night in an adult person is alarm signal, which should not be neglected in the interests of one’s own health.

Sleep disorders – common occurrence, which occurs in at different ages, while for each age category have their own reasons.

Pathological drowsiness may be a manifestation hormonal abnormalities, consequence somatic diseases, in which a sick person is prevented from sleeping peacefully by an attack of asthma, itching, angina pectoris or increased urination. There can be a huge number of causes for sleep disorders.

What prevents a person from getting enough sleep?

What are the causes of poor sleep in adults? What factors influence restless, sleepless nights? The main causes of restless night sleep:

• external factors: telephone calls, noise from neighbors, light from a street lamp;
• increased emotional background, irritability, outbursts of anger, experiencing difficult life situations(divorce, dismissal, betrayal of friends) - very depressing nervous system and provoke sleep problems;
• uncontrolled use of psychotropic stimulants, dietary supplements, hormonal medications;
• poor sleep is guaranteed after alcohol, drugs;
• information boom: modern media and the Internet are replete with an uncontrollable flow of information - nightmares seen the day before can be projected in a dream;
• poor nutrition: in the evening, biorhythms slow down and the gastrointestinal tract finds it difficult to digest heavy foods;
• 24-hour working day, change of time zones;
• poor sleep after training: do not overdo it power loads late in the evening, everything should be in moderation, give the body the opportunity to recover.

Forward: Insomnia during late pregnancy

To fall asleep and wake up easily, take care of your comfortable conditions By eliminating the irritant, you are guaranteed to have a restful sleep.

What are the dangers of poor sleep? Consequences

The causes of sleep disorders may be temporary. Lack of sleep can occur over three days and is episodic. If sleep disturbance bothers you for more than three weeks, insomnia becomes chronic. Possible consequences:

• the risk of accidents increases;
• appearance deteriorates;
• are decreasing protective functions body;
• irritability and depression appear (how ladies can cope with depression - read the article on how a woman can get out of depression on her own);
• there are problems with memory and concentration;
• the risk of heart disease increases.

A person cannot exist without sleep just like without food, water and oxygen. People who say they don't sleep are mistaken. There is sleep, but it is anxious, intermittent, and there is no charge of vigor after waking up.

How to break the vicious circle and give yourself a relaxing night's rest?

Against the backdrop of health problems, stressful condition, physical and emotional fatigue, abuse bad habits– each of us asks ourselves the question: “Why do I have bad sleep, why do I often wake up at night? How to enjoy your sleep and wake up refreshed full of energy and energy?

Forward: This is how much sleep an adult needs per day

If you suffer from sleep disorders, analyze your daily routine, lifestyle, check what you eat, how healthy the foods are for the body, how often you eat hiking in the fresh air. Excessive anxieties and worries do not allow you to relax even during sleep - try to reduce them yourself or by seeking advice from a specialist.

Modern medical supplies do not cause addiction, normalize the process of falling asleep. Gentle medications stabilize sleep rhythms in night period and allow an adult to forget about insomnia. Often the doctor prescribes in combination homeopathic treatment, infusions soothing herbs and general recommendations - everything is individual, depending on the causes of the failure and personal symptoms.

Poor sleep at night can debilitate an adult; our advice will tell you what to do. General recommendations, which will help you wake up as an energetic and rested person.

Question for a psychologist:

Now I’m generally going through a very difficult and exciting stage in my life. Before this there was a long depression. Nightmares I was practically not bothered, but also positive dreams I rarely dream. I've been having some particularly memorable dreams for about a week now. If earlier I remembered some objects (objects, people) from dreams, now I began to remember well the script itself, the plot of the dream. During the night I often wake up and fall asleep, I have several such dreams. For example, I remember how in a dream I went to a store, bought something, talked to someone. When I wake up, I remember almost the entire dream, after a while a lot is forgotten, but early on I remember everything well. I recently had a pretty dream unpleasant dream, I would like to dwell on it in more detail. So, the plot of the dream: at the beginning I am in some kind of dental clinic. I just walk and look around, I see how doctors treat patients, drill their teeth. But it doesn't hurt them. Then I start to wonder, is everything okay with my teeth? I come home and start looking at my teeth. Then I start tearing them out for myself! I pull them out of my gums one by one with my hands. There seemed to be no blood, and there was no pain either. There was some feeling of anxiety. Then, when I got everything out, I started looking at them. Many of them were rotten and covered with caries. Then I realized that they would all have to be put back in. And then I really became very worried. After all, it was much more difficult to insert them than to pull them out. But I think I put everything back in later. I agree, the dream is quite strange and creepy. Judging by various dream books if teeth fall out, it's bad sign. What could this dream mean? Should I be afraid of something now? What should you pay attention to? I haven’t been to the dentist for a long time, but my teeth have never hurt. I also often dream about trains, as well as various tunnels, corridors, passages, etc. Tunnels and corridors are usually dark and unlit. In my dreams I don't have very strong fear, but there is always anxiety and excitement. Explain what these dreams mean? Should we be afraid of bad dreams and attach great importance to them?

Psychologist Olga Petrovna Yagudina answers the question.

Good afternoon

Andrey, I am of the opinion that in a dream our brain, our psyche plays out and processes, with the help of images, those phenomena of our life that we do not have time to realize and understand in the waking state. This process is purely individual and therefore there is no point in using dream books. The dreamer himself can best interpret his dream. When interpreting, rely not on the meaning of the images, but on the feelings that accompany this image. If the main feeling of sleep is anxiety, then you should understand where this feeling comes from. real life. The dream may be a clue. Your subconscious mind shows you what is bothering you. You should change something in your life to relieve this condition.

Anxiety is an unaccountable fear. Fear of something you don't recognize as a danger. If you cannot figure it out on your own, it is better to contact a psychologist and together look for the source of anxiety. It could be like real danger which you do not notice, and a far-fetched fear that will disappear when you discover it. Listen to yourself and answer the question - what are you afraid of?

Relaxation, calm music, meditation, walks, communication with others also help relieve anxiety. good people. Take care of yourself.

Regarding this dream, we can say that this dream symbolizes that you are very attentive to yourself and engage in introspection. In my opinion, I emphasize that this is only my interpretation, your dream can be interpreted as follows - you are changing. You watch how other people's teeth are treated and it doesn't hurt - this may mean that you see how people around you change, and it's painless. Then you realize that you should change something in yourself and do it yourself - pull out your teeth. You probably find some character traits or habits that you analyze in yourself. Then you examine and find rotten teeth - you realize that your personality traits are not ideal. You put your teeth back, this process is more complicated than removing teeth - it’s difficult for you to accept in yourself negative traits, but you do it and it's right. No ideal people and the older we get, the more tolerant we are of ourselves and others.

You often dream of tunnels and corridors - this is also a sign that changes are happening to you, you are on a journey. This is very typical for your age and the fact that it is accompanied by anxiety is understandable. You are afraid of the unknown and what happens to you irreversible changes. This is because you are entering into adult life and you don’t have experience yet, perhaps you are not entirely confident in yourself, you experience a lot of stress and temptation. This is normal, don't rush yourself and accept everything that happens.

Sleep is a process physiological nature, in which the brain and body periodically rest by reducing the body’s reactions to various external factors and minimizing brain activity.

Restless sleep is a state when a person is asleep, but something continues to happen to him while he sleeps. His brain does not rest, but continues to work, imagine dream pictures and think about some problems. The person seems to continue to “communicate” with the people around him during the day. He seems to be in an intermediate state between wakefulness and sleep.

Restless sleep is very incomplete. After such a dream, a person does not have the feeling that he has rested and gained strength.

Causes of restless sleep in adults

Reasons for not good sleep can be very different. Restless sleep in adults can occur due to the following diseases:

Nocturnal asthma;

Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea;

Rheumatism;

Gastrointestinal disorders;

Chronic alcoholism;

Apnea syndrome;

Mental illnesses (especially states of passion);

Prostatitis;

Restless legs syndrome.

Also, restless sleep can be caused by severe anxiety, mental or physical fatigue, overvoltage.

Causes of restless sleep in a child

Often, restless sleep in a child is observed due to:

Serious disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system;

Diseases of internal organs;

Mental disorders;

Weaning;

Changes in diet or lifestyle;

Changes in living conditions;

Conflicts in the family.

Symptoms of restless sleep in a child

Symptoms restless sleep the child has:

Bruxism is teeth grinding at night, which can sometimes be accompanied by altered breathing, level of blood pressure and heartbeat;

Startles are pathologically conditioned sleep phenomena, which include physiological movements during sleep;

Nocturnal enuresis - involuntary urination during sleep;

Night terrors are sudden psychomotor agitations accompanied by fear, in which the child does not come into contact with others and does not remember what happened after waking up;

Breathing disorders during sleep.

Treatment of restless sleep in a child

To achieve restful sleep in your child, you must adhere to the following rules:

You cannot wake up your baby specifically to feed him, as this may disrupt his biological clock;

Before going to bed, the baby should be well fed;

During feedings before bedtime, it is necessary to dim the lights in the room and practically not communicate with the baby;

After 10-12 months, stop feeding your baby at night;

Sleeping during the day should not be accompanied by perfect silence, otherwise the child will get used to it and will wake up after any sounds;

There is no need to react to every baby's sob;

Try to put your baby to bed at the same time every day to adjust his internal clock.

Treatment of restless sleep with traditional methods

The following recipe can help with restless sleep in adults:

Pour one teaspoon of honey and one teaspoon of dill juice into one glass of milk. Take one teaspoon warm after meals. Can be stored for no more than one day in the refrigerator and no more than half an hour at room temperature.

The following recipes can help children:

Pour 200 grams of pumpkin into one glass hot water and boil for about 10-15 minutes. Cool the broth, and after cooling add honey (one tablespoon). Give your child a quarter glass to drink at night.

Pour one tablespoon of tongueless chamomile with flowers into one glass of boiling water and put on fire. Add sugar (one teaspoon) or honey (half a teaspoon), boil for ten minutes, remove from heat and cool in dark place. After straining, give the child a quarter glass an hour before bedtime.

Make tea from chamomile and green tea. Leave for 10 minutes and give one glass to the child before bedtime.

Pour crushed valerian officinalis root (one tablespoon) into one glass of boiling water and cook for about fifteen minutes. Cool in a warm and dark place. After straining, give the child one teaspoon three times a day.

Take one tablespoon of chopped herbs and dill seeds, pour boiling water (two glasses). Cool in a dark place and give the child one teaspoon before bedtime.

Stramonium. The dream is interrupted by a scream. Falls asleep during the day. Deep dream with snoring. Vivid dreams on a historical topic. At night he cries and sobs. Wakes up screaming. Trembling in limbs. Fever in the afternoon. Cold sweat all over the body. Shapeless spots on the hand. Painful pustules on right thigh. In the morning, itching all over the body.

Sulfur. Dreams about heavenly fire. Dreams as if someone is leaning on him. Drowsiness during the day and wakefulness at night. Dirty, sore-covered and stooped people. Children do not like to be covered, take off their clothes and are afraid to swim. Most symptoms are on the left side. Heat in the crown, palms of the hands and soles of the feet. The patient is happy and everything looks great. Gets angry about anything. Cold feet. Indifference to the well-being of others. Tendency towards religiosity. Considers himself the owner of beautiful things. In a dream he falls from a height. Fatigue goes away when walking. Sleepy during the day, falls asleep as soon as he sits down. No desire to get out of bed in the morning. At night he rushes restlessly around the bed. Shakes violently when falling asleep. At night, burning in mouth with thirst. Snores every night. Laughs loudly in the evening.

Belladonna. The head buries itself in the pillow (friction against the Tarentula pillow). Chorea. The patient cannot remain in one position for a long time. Throwing back alternates with bending forward. Mania with laughter, dancing, wild screams. Runout carotid arteries. Dilated pupils and bloodshot eyes.

Causticum. The patient cannot find a position during sleep. Restlessness in legs in the evening. Trembling at night. The patient wakes up in anxiety, turns her head from side to side. In her sleep she moves her arms and legs. Convulsive movements of the mouth and eyes. Rheumatic patients with paralysis. The mouth is twisted.

Rhus tox. Anxious dreams about your work. Dreams that the whole world is on fire. Daytime sleepiness, sadness, dry lips. He falls asleep late and rushes around in bed. Cries loudly in his sleep. Severe abdominal pain at night. Insomnia until midnight. Sleeps with open mouth. At night he can only lie on his back. In the morning he speaks loudly in his sleep. Constant chills. Cold hands and feet. In the evening the face is very hot, and the cheeks are pale and cold. Sweat all over the body except the face. At night, sweating around the neck. Sweating in the morning.

Phosphorus. Insomnia from fever. Dreams of an exciting nature. Itching and numbness along the spine and in the limbs. Impotence after excessive excitement. The face is gray or waxy. The tongue is covered with sticky, stringy mucus. It is viscous and accumulates on the tongue. The torso is hot, but the extremities are cold. Thirst is relieved by drinking cold water.

Zincum. Screaming in sleep. Awakening from fright. Significant weakness. Measles occurs without a rash.

Digitalis. Dreams about falling from high altitude. Gloomy forebodings, fear, depression. Breathing is deep and slow. Dry cough from deep breaths. Choking forces the patient to sit.

Taraxacum. Dreams about quarrels. Often wakes up as if he had already slept. Chills all over the body. Very strong tendency to laugh. Talkativeness, constantly chatting. Religious mood.

Stannum. Dreams about fire. Vivid dreams of cruelty. Dreams of wealth and splendor. Voluptuous dreams without erection, but with ejaculation. Trembling and cramps in left hand. Heat with sweating on slightest movement. In the morning, sweat on the forehead. Extreme restlessness and confusion. Moves from place to place. Wants to do everything at once and can’t finish anything. Can't collect his thoughts. Dejection. Fear of people. Silent and gloomy. Doesn't want to talk. Fleeting anger.

Pulsatilla. Can't sleep in the evening. Unbearable itching in the evening in bed. Wakes up before midnight and dreams a lot. Insomnia, with abundance of thoughts. Dreams about events that happened a day ago. He shudders with fright in his sleep. Dreams about quarrels. In a dream, afraid black cat or dogs. In a dream he wants the bees to be driven away. Night anxiety, as if I had committed a crime. He dreams that he will be killed. Cries loudly and mumbles in his sleep. Voluptuous dreams without stimulation of the genitals. In a dream, a child moves his lips. Twitching of limbs during sleep. Restless sleep. Frequent awakenings with difficult dreams. The patient is gloomy and indifferent after waking up. The patient has been awake since the evening and is full of thoughts.

Staphisagria. Drowsiness after eating. Can't sleep until midnight. Dreams about discord and quarrels. In a dream he fights with a monster, gets scared and shudders. Dreams about daytime activities. Vivid and rational dreams. Dreams are full of anger. Voluptuous dreams and ejaculation. Dreams about murder.

Squilla. Dreams as if the body had swollen to enormous size. Yawns frequently, without drowsiness. In the morning, feeling of fog in the head. Icy hands and feet. Heat and redness in the face when speaking. Heat in head with cold feet. Chills, and soon after this, heat throughout the body. In the morning, disgust for mental work. Irritation over trifles. Fear of death.

Opium. Cries pitifully in his sleep. Horrible dreams. Mumbles unintelligibly during heavy deep sleep. Deep sleep with wheezing breathing. During sleep, erection of the penis, and when woke up, impotence. After sleep he stutters. Happy dreams. Dreams of dragons, skeletons, terrible ghosts and grinning ghosts. Slow heart rate and breathing. Chills down the back and cold extremities. Heat with thirst. Sweating on the head during physical activity. Very noisy, they sing love songs, laugh and joke a lot. Excitement, self-satisfaction. Fury and madness. Sees ghosts, devils and ghosts. Cries and sobs pitifully. Terrible anxiety.

Spongia. Frightening dreams of murder. Before going to sleep, distinct visions as if guns are being fired or everything is on fire. Everything disappears when the patient opens his eyes and appears again when he closes them. Insomnia until midnight. In the morning, covered in sweat. Cold hands. Haunted by a frightening picture from a sad past. Anxious, he anticipates trouble. Winces over every little thing. He speaks in monosyllables. Arrogant and rude. Cheerful and tearful moods alternate.

Sambucus. Voluptuous dreams with ejaculation. Chill before going to bed. Drowsiness without sleep. Hands are cold. During fever, there is a strong reluctance to open up. Sees scary things on the wall. Angry mood.

Rheum. Dreams about unpleasant, annoying things. Dreams about dead relatives. After sleep, the eyes are stuck together with secretions. After sleep, the mouth is covered with offensive mucus. After sleep, disgusting taste in mouth. One cheek is pale, the other is red. Heat in the cheeks. The sweat smells like rhubarb and leaves yellow spots on linen. Talks nonsense. Lazy and laconic. Silent and reserved. Capricious. The child passionately asks for various things and cries. Cannot do one thing for a long time.

Mercurius. Anxious dreams about being bitten by a dog. Dreams about the beginning of a revolution. Lots of dreams. He can only fall asleep in the morning. Often wakes up from fright. Often wakes up from noise. Frightening dreams about falling from a height. Dreams about highway robbers. Vivid dreams about daytime activities. IN healthy condition doesn't dream. Dreams about danger lurking in the water. Scary dreams about shooting. Erotic dreams and penile erection without ejaculation. Extreme thirst.

Spigelia. Dreams that lightning struck his shoulders. After midnight he often wakes up and rushes around in bed. Vivid dreams about fire, quarrels and arguments. Dreams of a destructive fire and ghosts. Voluptuous dreams with ejaculation. Chilliness every morning. Talks in his sleep. Great exhaustion of mind and body when walking. Trembling of hands when trying to take something. It is difficult to write due to the heaviness in the hand. Very sensitive to cold air. After the slightest physical activity imagines that he will die. Yawning without drowsiness. Before midnight, no sleep. Long afternoon nap.

Magnetis poli ambo. Dreams filled with misfortunes and nightmares. Adventure dreams. Dreams of feasting and boasting. Dreams with an open mouth. Voluptuous dreams with juice release prostate gland. Talks in his sleep. Moans in his sleep and snores. Tossing around the bed during sleep. At night, heat without thirst, wants to open up. Sweat in the place where the magnet lay. Very diligent. Extreme haste, frivolity and forgetfulness. Cannot concentrate on one subject. Easily irritated. Phlegmatic, lazy.

Ledum. Dreams with a feeling of shame. Dreams of murder and violence. Dreams of remorse with profuse sweating. Vivid dreams about great misfortunes. Voluptuous dreams with an erect penis. Tossing around the bed. Insomnia until midnight. Cannot stand the warmth of the bed due to burning in the extremities.

Silica. Scary dreams. Nightmares. Sweat when falling asleep. Fetid sweat on foot. Sensitivity to drafts. Flat feet. Chills and trembling. Insomnia with heat in the head. Anxiety and restlessness. Curvature of the legs. Walking in your sleep. Slouch. Sleeps in the fetal position. Unpleasant smell from the feet (Graphites, Sepia).

Manganum. Anxious dreams, remembers every detail of them. When he wakes up, he feels strong. Dreams while falling asleep. Anxious dreams about soldiers shooting at him, his life in danger. Dreams of restoration friendly relations. Chill when walking in open air. In the morning chills with cold hands and feet. Trembling throughout the body. Heat in the head with chills in the body. At night, sweat on feet. Sad and angry. Thoughtful, silent and reserved. He doesn't speak much, he thinks his mind is very weak. Pleasant music does not make him happy, but after sad music he feels rested. He cannot forget how unfairly he was treated.

Magnetis polus arcticus. Dreams on a historical theme are harmless and not exciting. Voluptuous dreams. Dreams about falling from a height. Vivid dreams, cannot remember them. Dreams about deformed people, miscarriages. Dreams about being engaged scientific work. In the evening, strong pain at the top of the esophagus, as if he had swallowed too large a piece. Tossing around the bed, which seems too warm. In the morning, chills with yawning. As soon as he touches the north pole of the magnet with the tip of his tongue, he begins to tremble all over. The tip of the finger that was in contact with the magnet feels cold.

Phosphoricum acidum. Moans and talks while dozing. Voluptuous dreams with ejaculation. Dreams about celebrations and celebrations. Dreams are filled with swearing and quarrels. She dreams that she is falling down or into the water. Dreams about the dead. In the morning he gets up in a very bad mood. Cold in right cheek, and warmth in the left. Chill in a warm room. Trembling and fever alternate in the evening. Profuse sweating in the morning. Great thirst for water, with great heat and sweating. At night, intense heat in the face. Very annoyed. Angry, doesn't want to talk.

Magnetis polus australis. Dreams about arson. He dreams that a horse bit him on the forearm and kicked him in the chest. Dreams about quarrels and fights. Cramps in the calf and thumb legs. Feet go numb. In the morning, cold feet. Shootings in the soles when moving. Shoes put pressure on your toes. Painless crunching in the joints when moving. He falls asleep only in the morning and sleeps for a short time. Palpitations with heat in the region of the heart. The magnet seems to cause a strong tendency to catch cold. Feels like your head is drenched cold water. Cold feet, heat rising to the head. Coldness in left shoulder blade. Coldness in the thighs with heat in the genitals. After eating, heat in the face. Feeling of warmth at the point of contact with the magnet. Severe fear fresh air, penetrates to the bones. The slightest reason causes intense anger. Boisterous, hasty and rude. Sullen, angry and grumpy. Aversion to work and irritability. Very fast imagination.

It is understandable that people are afraid of bad dreams. After all, they, being very impressive, are remembered best and leave unpleasant feeling. During the night a person is able to see several dreams, very different. And how vivid and emotional the dream will be depends partly on the so-called sleep phase in which a person is at the time of the dream. Among all the stages of sleep, two are especially significant: the REM and slow sleep. In the slow phase, the brain hardly works. Metabolism is minimal, breathing is slow and deep. People awakened in this state rarely remember their dreams. The transition from slow wave sleep to fast sleep is very clear. During REM sleep, the pupils move under closed eyelids. active movements, almost like during wakefulness. Breathing becomes frequent and intermittent. The brain uses the same amount of energy as in daytime. And nightmares occur most often during this phase. Moreover, after ten minutes of REM sleep, a person can wake up, remembering the dream, and move to slow phase. During the night, a person experiences about six sleep cycles, each of which can last up to two hours.

Often a person thinks that the dreamer bad dream definitely portends trouble. Actually this is not true. An anxious dream is, first of all, a signal about some kind of personal anxiety of a person, and an already existing one. It could also be some kind of emotional experience associated with unsolved problem. There may also be anxieties caused by the expectation of some changes. A move, an exam, a change of place of work, a new relationship, troubles in the family - everything that a person may worry about can cause unpleasant dreams. By the way, excessive fatigue or overwork can also cause such a dream. From such a dream a person always awakens and experiences a very real feeling of fear. In psychiatry, such dreams are classified as “everyday dreams.” There are other categories of nightmares. They may be accompanied by screaming or even crying. A person may not wake up from such a dream and may not even remember it.

Repeating dreams are of particular importance. You can often hear the complaint: “I have the same nightmare.” The problem here is also a matter of personal experiences. The most difficult category disturbing dreams is a post-stress sleep disorder. They arise after suffering difficult events. In a dream, pictures of real incidents emerge that greatly affected a person. There are nightmares that are the result of some illness, such as depression. But here, of course, the reason is deeper and more complex. And a person will not be able to overcome this fear without calling on psychotherapeutic methods for help. To get rid of these “mini-horror films”, it is not at all necessary to resort to sleeping pills. First you need to understand their reason. What's worrying? What's depressing? What is so painfully stuck in your thoughts? What situation is still not resolved? Try to reconstruct the events that preceded the appearance of nightmares. To do this, you can try this simple method. Write down all previously occurring events on a piece of paper.

Moreover, write out everything in a row, without considering that some are important and others are not. After this, read carefully again and highlight what causes the most excitement. If a reason is found, then this will be the “end of the rope”, by pulling which you can unravel the whole “tangle”. There is another way - you need to draw your fear. You need to try to focus on your fear and draw a series of drawings. Perhaps something will emerge in them that will suggest the cause of this fear. It's like looking him in the face. And after that, what you dreamed about, the scarecrow, disappears, passes as if by itself. Don't neglect simple rules- maintain your usual daily routine. Try to protect yourself from possible conflicts during the day. Pay attention to the environment in which you prepare for bed. It is not advisable to “go wild” before bedtime, listen to loud music less and eat heavy food. An evening walk in the fresh air will only add positive emotions, and therefore good, kind dreams.