text: lately, i wake up in the middle of the night. what causes recurring nightmares?   most common answer is stress. stress of work, money, family, health, past traumas. sometimes lack of sleep also causes nightmares.  sleep-aid causes nightmares for me. they explained it as it's a creative outlet for my brain since my body was forced into sleep by the pills.  it could be a subconscious anything being twisted and distorted.