Hi, I understand it can be disturbing to have nightmares frequently. Nightmares can be triggered by trauma, stress or anxiety. Your friend can consult a psychologist and Counseling sessions will help her.

Hi. Loneliness may serve the reason. 

Is there any history of trauma? Any kind of trauma, emotional or physical?

Dear human, thank you for sharing and reaching out. I appreciate you reaching out for help for your friend and support them. Having nightmares of this kind can be extremely disturbing and discomforting. Nightmares are usually results of any traumatic event that has happened in their lives. It can be anything and only the individual would be aware of it. They need to process that event/events and let the emotions out in order to resolve it. It is highly recommended to seek mental health help as there can be several underlying reasons for this that might need special attention. As a friend, you can do the following: 1. Listen: Allow them to talk to you about these nightmares and about how they're feeling. By vocalizing they'll be able to externalize and feel less alone in this situation. Nod, agree with them, say- "go on, I'm listening" or "I'm here, feel free to share." Create an environment that is comfortable and safe and helps them open up. These nightmares might hold very personal information; if they're able to trust you, they'll be able to share more easily. Don't force them to share at any point. 2. Empathize: Validate their feelings, tell them it's okay to feel uncomfortable because of this. Be careful not to make them feel judged or embarrassed. 3. Take care of your mental health: ensure that you don't neglect yourself, acknowledge how you feel about this situation, about anything they share with you. If at any point you feel uncomfortable, slow down. Also, don't get discouraged if you're not able to help them; these things can take time. Things you can suggest to your friend: 1. Journaling: like talking, maintaining a journal wherein they can write, draw or paint can help externalize. It can help them understand their thoughts and feelings better and feel more in control. 2. Grounding: if they wake up feeling anxious, breathless, sweating, or if during the day thoughts about the nightmare make them anxious, they can try grounding techniques that will help them come back to the present moment and environment and feel better. 3. 5-4-3-2-1 exercise: take few slow and deep breaths and name five things in your environment that you can see, four things that you can hear, three things that you can touch, two things that you can smell, and one thing you can taste. 4. And finally therapy to sort out their concerns.

Hello, Nightmares are really a scary experience particularly when the nightmares are related to violence and one gets really anxious after waking up,sometimes clients get anxious when they think of sleeping because they know they are going to experience it.I would suggest a detailed evaluation to rule out any trauma in the past or some intrapsychic conflicts.Try some deep breathing and mindfulness exercises before going to bed and after waking up