LIVE: Nightmare on Main Street

FARGO — It’s a study that may point to a hidden cause of some of your sleepless nights — and not just because you’ve been watching too many horror movies this Halloween season.

A national therapy group says North and South Dakotans are among the top five states in the country suffering nightmares.

And when you’re waking up in a cold sweat from a bad dream, you’re not very likely to have a Ghoul Morning.

But there are ways you can cope, says Essentia Health’s Dr. Alexandra Kohlhase.

Kohlhase says nightmares are our subconscious’s way of dealing with stress.

For kids this time of year, a common cause of nightmares may be exposure to scary decorations or movies.

Adult stressors tend to be different.

Kohlhase says those common sources of stress can be made worse on our mental health this time of year by the shortening daylight hours, or cooler weather forcing us indoors away from outdoor exercise.

Rereduced social interaction as cold weather sets in can also create psychological distress.

Kohlhase joined the Morning Show for a live interview about her perspective on the findings in the study, and what you can do to help get nightmares under control.

https://www.essentiahealth.org/find-facility/behavioral-mental-health-outpatient-essentia-health-south-university-clinic-fargo