Nightmares are actually a pretty common response to stress, and their impact on sleep can be massive, especially for individuals dealing with high pressure environments like being in Model United Nations. For an individual representing the Czech Republic in SPECPOL, the intense stress throughout the day, including just a few: debate preparation, keycard not working, elevator mess, hectic schedule, and public speaking may have heightened their stress levels, probably leading to their disrupted sleep and bad dream. Stress-induced dreams/nightmares often reflect unresolved fears or anxieties, showing itself as unsettling or like a chaotic dream scenario that can interrupt sleep cycles and leave individuals feeling drained when waking, even uncomfortable throughout the night.
Stress plays a huge role in the content of nightmares. During Model United Nations, participants face tight deadlines, complex topics, and the pressure to perform well in front of peers, as well as any other outside factors. These may elevate cortisol levels, which disrupts the sleep-wake cycle and reduces the quality of REM sleep, which is the stage where dreams happen. Nightmares connected to this stress might sort of mirror the challenges or stressful events that happened. For the Czech SPECPOL delegate, a bad dream after a bit of a stressful day could show their subconscious processing the day’s events.
The connection between stress and nightmares can create an annoying cycle of sleep. A nightmare not only disrupts sleep but can also increase next day stress levels. In the context of Model United Nations, this could mean struggling to concentrate during committee sessions or just feeling less confident in delivering speeches or debates.
MUN itself demonstrates real life diplomacy under pressure, a setting where disturbances in sleep among individuals can be common. Speaking out about certain stress induced challenges through things like relaxation techniques or mindfulness could help delegates manage stress better, to make sure both a good sleep and optimal performance in committee sessions are capable for all.