Here’s how one can turn the worst of nightmares into sweet dreams

WASHINGTON - Nightmares leave most of us waking up scared and dreading the thought of going back to sleep, but researchers have suggested that there is a way by which we can turn these dreams into happy endings.

Millions around the world suffer from chronic nightmares like running away from something and getting stuck in one place, or dreaming about going to the bathroom, putting the light on and finding the entire room covered in blood.

Sleep specialist Dr. Ross Levin said that there are some personalities more disposed to having nightmares, and that one way they can stop them is by using something called Image Rehearsal Therapy to stop bad dreams from happening in as few as three sessions.

“People who are anxious, people who get distressed a lot, particularly when something bad occurs, are much more likely to have frequent nightmares,” CBS News quoted him as saying.

“Imagine the nightmare and imagine changing the nightmare in a way that becomes less nightmarish, and practicing that imagery over and over again during the day. And that tends to rewire the nervous system, we think.

“I had one patient, for example, who had the recurrent nightmare that someone was chasing her into a dark alley, over and over.

“So, we worked on changing that to her turning around and the man turns and says, ‘Miss, you left your wallet on the table’.

“So, in this situation she reported having this dream for the next four or five nights the same way, except she incorporated the new ending,” he stated. (ANI)