In childhood, I had a recurring nightmare I can still remember as vividly as if I had experienced it last night. I was playing in my mother’s garden when a strange man approached, setting off an epic chase scene. Unsuccessful in escaping him, I was captured and thrown into a giant, Santa Claus-style rucksack, where I spent the rest of my dream alone, in utter darkness — terrified of whether I’d make it out alive.
Dreams in which you’re being chased are actually the most common type of nightmare to have in childhood, says Deirdre Barrett, Ph.D., a dream researcher at Harvard University and author of “The Committee of Sleep.” In general, you tend to have fewer nightmares as you age, although some people remember their dreams — and nightmares — more often than others, Barrett said.
