There is nothing worse than sitting bolt upright in the dead of night drenched in sweat after being woken from your sleep by a bad dream.
But what is it that disturbs people in Ireland when they’re trying to get their good eight hours’ sleep?
Jury’s Inn conducted a survey to find out what horrors sneak into our dreams at night to frighten us senseless.
Unsurprisingly, the most common complaint was people claiming they felt like they were falling.
One in four people said they have been woken by that feeling that they are plummeting to their doom, though many could not remember the circumstances that led up to their fall.
The feeling of falling during sleep is known as hypnic jerk, and affects 10% of the world’s population every night, so it is debatable as to whether or not it can be considered a nightmare.
The next most common nightmare for Irish people was being chased, with 23% admitting they dreamt about running from someone or something at night.
Other common nightmares included teeth falling out (13%), being trapped somewhere (12%), having to sit an exam without being prepared and missing an important event.
Overall, 83% of Irish people admitted they had nightmares at some point in their lives, with 33% suffering one within the last two months, 7% revealed they had nightmares at least once a week.
Common practices to help ensure a good night’s rest for both body and mind include avoiding sleeping on your back, adding relaxing fragrances to the bedroom (ensure all candles are blown out before settling in bed), and listening to relaxing music or sounds as you drift off to sleep.
The nightmares that keep Irish people awake at night
