How To STOP Nightmares Biblically

In this article, will cover the Biblical tools on how to stop nightmares that will help Christians end their or their kid’s torment and get a good night of sleep.

Nightmares, Night Terrors, and Bad Dreams – The Struggle is Real

If you’ve ever dealt with the terror of nightmares or night terrors, you know how utterly draining and disturbing they can be. As a kid and in my early Christian walk, I experienced full-blown night terrors that would repeat multiple times per night. It was horrible.

But I’m here to share with you the biblical keys that helped me gain victory over these demonic attacks and find sweet, peaceful rest once again. As it says in Psalm 127:1-2:

Unless the Lord builds the house,
    the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the guards stand watch in vain.
² In vain you rise early
    and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
    for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Natural Causes Nightmares

But before I get into Biblical tools to get rid of nightmares, I want to talk about some causes.

Sometimes we won’t get a breakthrough in our night season unless we know what is the root issue.

A lot of what happens at night is because of what is happening in the day.

Not all nightmares stem from the demonic realm. Some are induced by natural things.

Let’s take a look at them:

Medication and/or Supplements

Some medications and supplements can cause nightmares or disturbing dreams by disrupting sleep patterns or altering brain chemistry.

I’ve personally experienced this with certain herbal supplements, and many others have reported “weird” or vivid dreams from prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and even common supplements like melatonin.

If you notice an increase in nightmares or strange dreams after starting a new medication or supplement, don’t ignore it. Consult with your doctor or pharmacist to see if the medication could be the culprit.

There may be alternative options that don’t disrupt your sleep as severely. Don’t just suffer through disturbed nights – your doctor can help determine if adjusting your medication regimen could provide relief.

Food

Ever heard of a “pizza dream”? It’s a real phenomenon – certain foods can directly impact the quality and content of your sleep and dreams. From indigestion and discomfort to the biochemical effects of different nutrients, what you eat plays a bigger role than many realize.

Some foods that are known to commonly cause nightmares or disturbing dreams include:

• Spicy, fatty, or greasy foods close to bedtime which can disrupt sleep
• Aged, fermented, or pickled foods high in tyramine like aged cheeses, smoked meats, soy sauce
• Chocolate and other foods high in theobromine which is a stimulant
• Alcohol, which may help you fall asleep initially but disrupts quality sleep later

It’s best to avoid these types of foods a few hours before bedtime. Pay attention to your diet and notice if certain meals seem to correspond with worse dreams or sleep quality.

Making simple shifts like having a light snack of complex carbs and protein before bed instead of pizza or ice cream could make a difference.

Consider looking into lists of foods known to promote better sleep like tart cherry juice, fatty fish, walnuts, and foods high in tryptophan. Small dietary changes may help improve your body’s overnight repair and reset for more restful, undisturbed dreams.

I’d also encourage checking out lists like this one on 17 Foods That Cause Bad Dreams to get more specifics on which foods are problematic for many people.

Stress

Stress is unfortunately all too common these days, and it can take a major toll on both our waking and sleeping lives. Stress encompasses a hodgepodge of negative emotions like worry, fear, anxiety, anger, and overwhelm.

It can stem from having too much on your plate, lack of rest, hostile environments, trauma, or just the general pressures of life.

Whatever the root cause, high stress levels are strongly linked to increased nightmares and disturbed sleep.

Chronic stress activates the body’s fight-or-flight response, flooding the system with cortisol and adrenaline. This hyper-aroused state makes it harder to get quality restorative sleep and can influence the vividness and content of dreams.

Illness or Trauma

For generally healthy individuals, it’s best not to jump to conclusions and start Googling rare diseases as the cause of nightmares. However, it’s important to be aware that certain illnesses, both physical and mental, can contribute to disturbing dreams.

Fevers, chronic pain, and other somatic issues that disrupt quality sleep can make nightmares more likely.

Neurological conditions like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and epilepsy are also sometimes linked to vivid, disturbing dreams. Mental health struggles like PTSD, anxiety, and depression frequently involve nightmares as well.

Trauma, whether physical or emotional, can be a major trigger for nightmare recurrence. When distressing experiences aren’t fully processed, the mind tends to replay and relive them through dreams. This is the brain’s attempt to work through and make sense of what happened.

If nightmares persist or seem tied to an underlying medical issue, it’s worth discussing with a healthcare provider. Getting appropriate treatment for any illness and processing trauma in a healthy way can help reduce their detrimental effects on sleep.

*Just to clarify, the enemy can use stress, illness, and trauma to torment us.

Now, let’s take a look at some spiritual causes for nightmares.

Spiritual Causes Of Nightmares

Watching/Reading Horror/Witchcraft/Dark Type Media

As believers, we have to be extremely cautious about what we expose our minds and hearts to when it comes to media. The spiritual world is real, and willfully consuming dark, demonic, or occultic content opens doorways for potential spiritual attack and oppression.

Ephesians 5:11 warns us, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

When we fill our eyes and minds with horror movies, shows about the occult, dark literature, or media glorifying witchcraft and violence, we are essentially inviting those demonic influences into our lives and inner beings.

Just as we are instructed to guard and renew our minds (Romans 12:2), we must be vigilant gatekeepers in this area. Passively allowing in media rooted in darkness weakens our spiritual defenses. It’s akin to handing the enemy a foothold and access.

This isn’t to say we should live in fear. But we must exercise wisdom and discernment, especially when it comes to highly realistic, immersive media that could warp our perspectives.

Consuming such content not only grieves the Holy Spirit but also leaves us more vulnerable to nightmares, oppression, and confusion as the lines between light and darkness become blurred.

Instead, let’s fill our minds with what is good, noble, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). Carefully consider what you allow into the “eye-gate” and “ear-gate” of your heart and mind. When in doubt, it’s better to avoid than to potentially open doors to enemy attack.

Sin Issue

As Christians, we must be aware that any unrepentant sin in our lives can potentially open us up to spiritual attack, including in the realm of nightmares and demonic oppression. While not all nightmares stem from sin, habitual or unconfessed sin can create vulnerabilities.

Discerning your Environment

For some believers, recurrent nightmares or very odd dreams may actually be related to the spiritual gift of discernment. Heightened spiritual sensitivity can manifest in dreams that seem to reflect or discern aspects of the environment around you.

For example, when I lived in a bigger city I would always have dark dreams near the time of Halloween. The first year it happened I didn’t understand why I was having these weird nightmares. Then it hit me, and I prayed into it, and they stopped.

Don’t ignore or write off extremely bizarre, dark, or vivid dreams as mere randomness. Stay attuned to the Holy Spirit’s promptings about prayerfully addressing any spiritual roots behind persistent nightmares, especially those that seem tied to locations, holidays, or environments. Your discernment may be a key to finding a breakthrough.

Fear

A spirit of fear or an unbiblical mindset dominated by anxiety, worry, and dread can truly wreak havoc on every area of our lives. It negatively impacts the choices we make, the way we feel about circumstances, our physical and mental health, our relationships, and so much more.

This can then flow into our sleep and dream life.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. – 2 Timothy 1:7

5 Keys On How To Stop Nightmares For Christians

These are key tools for you to use before bed or after a nightmare. Always be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as you pray and break off any attack of the enemy.

Using the Word of God

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Speaking out scriptures over yourself and your bedroom is extremely powerful. It sets the spiritual atmosphere for your night of rest. Even after a nightmare, reciting Scripture or reading your Bible can completely shift things.

This may sound kind of funny but one time I had a bad dream and I woke up, then quickly fell back asleep to have it again. This kept repeating itself for a while.

I finally woke up enough to do something about the situation. I said, “Listen, spirit….you either leave me alone and go, or I will get up right now and read my Bible.”

In an instant, that weird presence left the room, and I had a perfect night’s rest.

I’m telling you the Bible is a powerful weapon if we use it!

Exercising your Authority

We have been given authority, and when something comes to attack us, we have every right as God’s children to rebuke it and tell it to go.

A lot of Christians don’t use their authority. They take a passive stance hoping that it will just go away. The enemy has a field day over this.

USE YOUR AUTHORITY!

When you wake up from a nightmare or if your child has a nightmare. You tell that spirit…

“In the name of Jesus, I rebuke you and command you to leave right now.” Remind the enemy he has no place and no right to be bugging you and remind him of who you are in Christ.

Praise & Worship

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. – 2 Corinthians 3:17

Praise and worship brings the presence of God. Psalm 22:3

And where His presence is….the enemy doesn’t want anything to do with it! Worshiping before bed or after a nightmare is a great way to bring His peace and presence into the room.

I know some people who play worship music while they sleep. My pastor’s son used to have horrible nightmares, and he would, in the middle of the night, get his guitar and worship. He saw an incredible breakthrough because of that.

Praying & Praying in Tongues

The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power] =. James 5:16 AMP

Praying changes, shifts, and moves things in the natural and spiritual realm. If you are being troubled at night….pray!

Pray before bed, pray after you have a nightmare (even after a dream).

If you don’t know what to pray or are feeling overwhelmed by a nightmare, then praying in tongues is fantastic. If I am groggy after a bad dream,, I will start praying in tongues. From there, I let the Holy Spirit lead me.

I love what World Changers Church International says about prayer,

“Because of what Jesus did, prayer has evolved from Old Testament to New Testament. We no longer have to beg and plead for God to do something for us, because He’s already done everything that needed to be done to defeat the enemy.

This gives us power because we’re praying from victory, not for victory. “…Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:17-19). This puts all our issues in a whole new light and gives added significance to our prayer lives.
Even as victorious believers, there are times when our spirits are heavy and we feel the need to pray but don’t have the right words.

That doesn’t have to stop us, however. Words aren’t necessary in the spirit realm, because the Holy Spirit frees us from the restrictions of human intellect and understanding.

“So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance” (Romans 8:26, AMPC).

Praying in tongues allows us to pray the perfect prayer because we’re talking directly to God” read more…

World Changers Church International

Repenting

If you have opened yourself up to demonic junk (books, movies, music, games, etc…), You need to repent and renounce and break off any connection with the occult.

There are many times when the Lord will ask you to remove the item from your house. Trust me I have burned and ripped up books at 3 am.

If it’s a sin issue, the same must be done.

If you are exercising your authority and you feel that things are not changing, then I would ask the Holy Spirit if there is something you need to repent of.

This has happened to me on different occasions. Once I repented, it’s like everything changed, and the room becomes so peaceful.

Get closer to God

This is not something you do after a nightmare but more of a lifestyle shift if you are not already doing it.

If you are getting spiritually bombarded by the enemy in the night season (which also applies to every other part of your life), the BEST thing you can do is get closer to God.

• Getting more into His presence
• Spending more time with Him in prayer
• Learning His word
• Growing in your walk
• Falling more in love with Him

…these things cause the enemy to flee.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. – James 4:7

Important Note on How to Get Rid of Nightmares

Before I close, I want you to know there is no formula or 5-step plan.
For me, I saw my breakthrough when I started to incorporate all of the things above in my day-to-day walk with God.

Some nights I would pray and worship, others I would use my authority and recite scripture. No, formula, just getting myself focused on God. I try to be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is leading me to do.

I pray that this post leads you into a breakthrough at night and that it gives you the keys to get rid of nightmares. And also, please know these tools also work for your children.

If you want to learn more about your night season or how God talks in dreams. Then check out the posts below.