Losing your job, becoming homeless, being chased by a Goliath Tarantula and having a rendezvous with Amy Winehouse, Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling; are just a few examples of the terrifying nightmares experienced by over a million of Brits every night*.
The annual Travelodge scary snooze study of 3,500 Brits revealed one in ten adults has had a scary snooze in the last week alone.(Twice as many women (seven per cent) in contrast to just (three percent) men have had a hellish nightmare over the last seven days).
The most common nightmares themes reported by Brits in the 2008 study are:
1. Being chased
2. Losing a loved one
3. Falling from a great height
4. Not having any money, being jobless and homeless
5. Being attacked by spiders
The report also found 82% of respondents wake up traumatised by their nightmare. For 51% of these adults this traumatic experience leads to them having a 'hellish day' and 19% of Brits blame their nightmare for making them less productive at work.
Leigh McCarron, Travelodge's Director of Sleep said; "A nightmare is much more intense than a bad dream, it can arouse feelings of fear, horror and distress. It replicates our deepest fears and can reflect the different types of stresses we face in our waking world. Nightmarish thoughts, such as losing your job, being homeless, falling and being chased are a manifestation of how much the credit crunch is affecting our daily lives and causing distressed sleep patterns.
"For example, dreaming about being chased or falling is a reaction to the stresses we face in life, the attacker (or falling) in the dream represents the emotion of fear and anxiety. It's no wonder Gordon Brown and Alistair darling are making a special appearance in our nightmares at the moment, both symbolise the fears we are facing in today's economy".
The report also found it's not just the credit crunch and politicians that are giving us nightmares; celebrities are also making us scream in our sleep. The top ten celebrities / politicians to appear in Brits nightmares are:
1. Amy Winehouse
2. Marilyn Manson
3. Gordon Brown
4. Pete Doherty
5. The Cheeky Girls
6. Simon Cowell Kerry Katona
7. Cherie Blair
8. Jodie Marsh
9. Heather Mills
10. Alistair Darling
Listed below are Travelodge Sleep Director's top three tips to avoid a nightmarish snooze:
1. Write down everything that is worrying you before you go to bed in order to clear your mind
2. Stick to a regular bed time every night. Routine is good, it ensures your natural body clock follows a rhythm
3. Have a bath before bed to help you relax and don't eat or drink caffeine after 7pm
Other key findings from the report include:
· Seven per cent of Brits have to sleep in a separate room to their partner because of their nightmares
· 10% of respondents are looking to get professional help to cure their nightmares
· Respondents woke up feeling the following conditions after a nightmare: (60%)sweating, (45%) having a panic attack, (31%) crying, (28%) shaking and (17%) screaming.
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