WHAT A ‘MARE!
A WHOPPING SEVEN OUT OF 10 OF US REGULARLY SUFFER FROM NIGHTMARES, WITH THE AVERAGE BRIT HAVING ONE A WEEK. BUT WHY DO THEY HAPPEN? JAMES MOORE HAS THE LOWDOWN...
What are nightmares?
DEFINED as dreams that are memorable and unpleasant enough to wake us up, nightmares usually happen in the rapid eye movement or REM stage of sleep, when your brain is more active.
REM periods last longer as the night goes on, which is why we tend to get nightmares in the early hours. They shouldn’t be confused with night terrors, which usually affect children, and occur when they wake up from deeper sleep abruptly.
Why do we get them?
Stress, anxiety and even the hormones produced in pregnancy are associated with nightmares. One study found that a quarter of us were getting more nightmares during the pandemic. It’s thought that in stressful times we need more REM sleep to process our emotions.
A study from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, suggests they could actually help us deal with fears better when we wake up.
Who gets them?
According to a study by the University of the West of England, women are more likely to get nightmares though it’s not clear exactly why. Other research has found women are more likely to have unpleasant dreams about spiders, monsters, falling and being chased, whereas nightmares about aliens, plane crashes or natural disasters appear to be common in men.
What might be the trigger?
Watching a horror movie really does increase your chance of suffering a nightmare as it triggers a “fight or flight” response in the brain, according to experts.
A poll found 1973’s The Exorcist was the most likely screen culprit. Even reading a scary book at bedtime can trigger nightmares according to researchers at Tufts University in Massachusetts, US.
Is the position we sleep in linked?
Do you tend to sleep on your left side? People who do have more nightmares than in other positions, according to a study published in the journal Sleep and Hypnosis.
Being too hot at night and going to bed too late can also set off disturbed sleep and more brain activity leading to nightmares, while scientists at Oxford University found people who sleep for more than nine hours experienced more of the phenomenon as it increases the amount of REM sleep.
Can cheese trigger them?
Ebenezer Scrooge, from Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, blamed his bad dreams on cheese. But don’t Brie scared… a 2005 study saw 200 subjects given 20g of cheese each day for a week an hour before they went to sleep. Not one reported having a nightmare. Cheese actually contains a substance called tryptophan, known to ease stress.
What about other food and drink?
The Oxford University study found no evidence alcohol can trigger nightmares, although other research indicates booze might lead to disturbed slumber. Research does suggest eating spicy fare and late-night snacks may be linked to nightmares.
A symptom of something else?
Usually nightmares are harmless, but they may sometimes be caused by an underlying health problem.
For instance, they are more common in people with sleep apnoea, where your breathing stops and starts during kip, according to a study in the journal Sleep Medicine.
They are also linked to heart problems, taking certain pills, posttraumatic stress disorder and may be signs of Parkinson’s and migraines. People with mental health problems are also five times more likely to have regular nightmares.
What can you do?
If you are getting a lot of them, your GP may be able to sort counselling and possible medication.
Recurring nightmare?
Pyschology expert Professor Richard Wiseman recommends rehearsing your bad dream while awake with a positive ending. He says it works in 90% of cases.
Right at Home Cardiff & Newport was established in 2012 by Joseph Guishard to deliver a range of care services from personal care and companionship through to 24-hour live-in care within people’s own homes. Over the years, Joseph Guishard and his team of compassionate, committed, and highly trained care professionals have supported over 2000 Clients in the local communities of Cardiff &
Newport. The last decade has given Clients, CareGivers and team members some extremely memorable moments including; Winning numerous Internal R@H awards, all detailed with title and year in cabinet in reception area of office. We have been finalised and won many external Awards - GBCA regional winners 2019/2020/2021 (i.e., Welsh Business Award finalists’ nomination in 2018/19/20 and UKHCA Winners in 2018 - ‘Highly Commended’ in the category ‘Developing a confident and sustainable workforce’) as well as; Internal awards. We have several carers remain with the company since Day 1 - Dom Guishard being amongst one of them. Having a carer named Holly Jones work her way up through the rankings to Registered Manager and now ‘Director of Care’ in the company. We hosted a Dementia tour bus experienced for our carers/clients. We expanded and moved to a bigger office and reaching 40000 Hours, 300 clients and 200 carers per week at our peak. We have built
several partnerships, working with charities - Huggard donating clothes and sleeping bags/tents, Mind, The Alzheimer’s Society, The British Heart Foundation. We continue to provide Christmas dinners to our most Vulnerable clients, six years running. We have held numerous carer family days and bank holiday BBQ’s. one of our office staff; Jemma Nicholas went on a cruise for a client - Jemma did this so they could go abroad to get married which is a HUGE deal. We provide Welsh cakes for private clients every year, as a gesture of thanks for the festive period. We endeavoured to supported our clients throughout COVID19, even staying at clients houses where needed to enable them to have care. Supporting clients with COVID, when other providers would not support. We are also proud to deliver Christmas presents and carers parties where we hire the hall for carers and their children. Joseph Guishard and his 17 team members and 135 Caregivers marked the occasion with hosting a coffee and brunch morning within their office as well as then hosting a cheese and wine event welcoming their local MP and long serving staff. Reflecting on the last ten years, Joseph Guishard said: “The last decade has been incredible.
I came into this not knowing where it would take us, simply knowing that we wanted to make a difference in the local community.
It has been humbling to see our team of passionate individuals support so many people in need of care. I am always blown away by our Caregivers’ commitment and unwavering spirit. I want to thank them for making the last ten years possible. Every day is a learning curve at Right at Home and I can’t wait to see what the next decade will bring.”
Sandra Jones has received care from Right at Home Cardiff & Newport for 9 years. She said: ‘the girls are fabulous, I enjoy when they take me out, they are all my friends. They are caring, always respectful, polite and lovely. I can always rely on them; the office staff are always friendly too. I love Right at Home’. Right at Home Cardiff & Newport is a part of the national franchise network, Right at Home UK, CEO Lucy Campbell, congratulated the anniversary saying:
“We are delighted to see the Right at Home Cardiff & Newport team celebrating a tremendous decade as they continue on their mission to provide high-quality care and support to those in the area who need it most. Joseph Guishard and his team have shown tireless hard work and dedication throughout their journey. We know the whole team will continue to be an asset to the local area, making a difference in many more Clients’ lives for years to come.”
The Right at Home Cardiff & Newport team is currently looking to grow its team and provide care to more people in the area. If you would like to join the team contact Courtney on 02920 794 050.
If you would like to enquire about the homecare services Right at Home Cardiff & Newport can offer you, call their friendly team on 02920 794 050
Contact Details:
Name: Joseph Guishard Number: 02920 794 050 Email: cardiff@rightathome.co.uk