Health Tip: Nightmares Keeping You Up?

Some possible reasons for bad dreams

July 29, 2009 RSS Feed Print

(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.