Can you prevent dreams?

Question

My bf was in a terrible accident and sometimes he will have a dream that is like a horror movie of the accident playing over and over in his head. Is there any way to stop this or prevent it?

Answer 1

Some psychoactive medications will suppress the memory of dreams, but no, you can't turn off your brain. Dreams are the brain's way of processing things. It's not a good idea to not dream, it means you are repressing things. I went thru a period of many years in which I never remembered any of my dreams.

Your bf needs to see a counselor to work through the very real, terrible trauma he's been through. It will take time but they can help him work through these frightening memories and feelings so they aren't so present and immediate.

Answer 2

The dream is a way of his sub-conscience mind to make since of a terrible event. It should however subside and he will not be bothered with so many dreams of the event. The best he can do is say to himself that it did happen and face it. It's like the monster that chases you in a dream. As long as you run and try to get away from it, the more often he will return in another dream. Once he says to himself it's happened and there is nothing I can do to change it, and that's that. Then the dreams will subside. And they may completely go away. And the ones that don't, may not be so bad.

Answer 3

To stop dreaming the experience you had especially bad one is hard. Dreams are from subconscious mind, they just happened.

However, I would suggest two ways.

1. Temporary fix - By suppressing your thought, things are bad will not come about. In other words, few minutes right before you sleep, keep telling your certain dreams that you will or will not have. By telling yourself, you actually prevent that goes into your subconscious mind. But only do it few minutes before sleeping. *and this may not work for everyone

2. Focus - Focus on other things in day time. Perhaps that will get you off your mind of bad experience. However, our subconscious minds are tricky. Sometimes, it will remember things few days before. This needs time to wash it off.

Whatever method you use, it will take some time to get rid of it permenantly because that is part of your life.

Answer 4

One theory behind dreams is that its the subconscious mind trying to work things out. I've defintely noticed that when something is on my mind it comes up in my dreams. Your boyfriend experienced something incredibly traumatic mentally and physically, if there is a part of him that denies it or tries to shut himself off from what happened these kinds of things can occur. He should see someone who is effective at releasing the emotions from the event, there are many good therapies that can accomplish this.

On a side note, you need REM sleep which is when dreams occur, if you don't get it, you won't feel rested, and eventually you will got pretty nuts

Answer 5

For one thing, you can stop thinking of it before going to bed. Change what you set your mood with before you go to bed. Sometimes I play sweet and melodic music for a time before I go to bed. Sometimes I read something, make sure it is substantially different in subject and tone from what I am not wanting to revisit.

I had dreams about war and battles, but I was reading history for a class. Then I started reading about another subject before bed, after I had done what was needed for class. Then instead of snipers taking pot shots at me while creeping through a wood, now it was a panther stalking me from the trees and I was armed with only a camera. Sometimes switching dreams takes you from the frying pan to the fire, but, hey, I wasn't dodging bombs and bullets, right? You are okay.

Answer 6

Actualy yes you can stop dreaming two ways one is waking up people who say I dont have dreams are actualy admiting to turning around to many times in the bed and in order to move your whole body you are waking yourself up and moving. and that stops you from dreaming.
The other thing is being in such a deep sleep that you dont even relize until the next morning (usualy sleeping pills can cause this.)

Answer 7

nightmares r good in a way, they may be scary. but they help us deal with our fears in the real world. an example would be... if ur afaraid to open a door in your dream and u open it. that will help ur fears in ur awaking life. so nightmares r pretty usful

Answer 8

u can Lucid dream and there are some ways to contol dreams, less food, and tv before bed

Answer 9

now you can not stop dreams from happening when you are asleep your mind works on its own

Answer 10

Unless you believe in dream catchers, i dont think so. Maybe you should speak to somebody about it.