Health Tip: Nightmares Keeping You Up?

July 29, 2009

Some possible reasons for bad dreams

(HealthDay News) -- While nightmares mostly affect children, even adults have an occasional bad dream.

Why do nightmares happen? The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers this list of possible causes:

• Being stressed or anxious, often resulting from a significant life event.
• Withdrawing too quickly from alcohol use, or drinking too much alcohol.
• Having a sleep disorder, such as narcolepsy.
• Being sick with a fever.
• Having a side effect or reaction to a drug.
• Eating too close to bedtime, which raises your metabolism and increases brain activity.

-- Diana Kohnle

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