People 'need to embrace their nightmares'

Those who cannot get a good night's sleep through nightmares, even if their bed and mattress are comfortable, are being told to confront their fears.

Psychologist Michael Haggstrom told the Calgary Herald that nightmares or night terrors show that something is trying to be "processed in a symbolic and exaggerated way".

He said that he attacked or escaped from whatever was trying to harm him in bad dreams.

In his case, recent night terrors were prompted by extreme trauma in the past.

While it lasted for months, he said that they were issues that "just suddenly needed to be worked on" and said he consciously addressed the problems.

In related news, the Sleep Council has stressed the importance of choosing the right bed for a good night's sleep.

Spokesperson Jessica Alexander said an uncomfortable bed that was too hard or soft would disrupt sleep and explained that having a good mattress was crucial.

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