Causes of nightmares 1, anxiety and stress Anxiety and stress are usually the result of external trauma in life and can sometimes be a trigger for nightmares and nightmares. According to a study by the International Association for the Study of Sleep (IASD), nightmares and nightmares can be caused by major surgery or illness, grief over the loss of a loved one, encounters or witnessed attacks, accidents…etc. Post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) is often a common cause of recurring nightmares. However, not all nightmares are caused by external trauma. Daily stressors can also cause nightmares throughout the night, such as: job or financial worries; life changes, such as: moving or divorce. 2, spicy food Food and eating time can also affect our nighttime rest. A small report in the International Journal of Psychophysiology tested a group of healthy men by having them eat spicy foods before they went to bed some nights and compared their sleep quality with what they would have done if they had not eaten spicy foods. The results showed that the nights they ate spicy foods, they stayed awake longer and slept less well. The reason is: spicy food raises the body temperature, which in turn disrupts sleep. This reason also explains why some people say they have nightmares when they eat too much before bedtime. Although few studies have focused on this, but eating before bedtime will enhance metabolism and brain activity, which in turn stimulates the production of nightmares or nightmares. 3, high fat content of food Although there is no conclusive, but some studies reveal: the more high-fat foods consumed during the day, the greater the impact on sleep quality. A 2007 study in Psychological Reports found that people who consumed more organic food (i.e., 100% natural ingredients) and people who ate more junk food had vastly different dreams! The authors of the article inferred that certain foods may have a negative impact on dreams. 4, alcohol Although alcohol is the same as sedatives in a short period of time, will help you fall asleep, but once the sedative effect fails, it will make you wake up prematurely. Excessive alcohol consumption can also lead to nightmares and poor sleep, for those in abstinence, nightmares will also visit from time to time.