Is there any way to reduce the chances of having nightmares?

This might sound dumb, but don't sleep on your back and don't eat right before you go to bed. Edit: flowers help, too.

Is there any stressors in your life currently any fear or feelings you've been keeping to yourself? Try to limit them, acknowledge that those stressors and fear are there, and it is what it is. Try meditating, listening to soothing music falling asleep. Perhaps exercises and or stretch so that mentally you know that physically you can out run and beat those nightmares. :) If you want, you can talk to me about them. I find it really helpful to just talk about it.

Listen to something or do something good before you go to bed. Usually if you surround yourself with positive things, it will cause you to have a positive dream. That's what I did. Usually I don't have a nightmare unless something bad or scary happens before bed.

Don't sleep in a very cold room. Sleep in a different room Put your feet in hot water Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t go to bed angry Take a piece of paper. Take a pencil or a wide nib marker. Hold it down with force and draw a vertical line on the page. Keep your hand pressed and focus on putting all thoughts and un-easiness into the paper. When you’re done. Crumble the paper, throw it in the trash. Go sleep! Write a diary / log / blog / journal. Online or offline your choice. Let it out. Whatever that is inside. Good bad or just plain unexplainable. Talk to someone who can put you to sleep There is nothing in life that can’t be done tomorrow or fixed. The world will remain the same when you sleep. And it will remain the same when you wake up. Don’t think about anything when you’re going to be. Switch your brain off and just sleep.

If your nightmares aren't illness or medication-related, behavioral changes have proven effective for people who suffer from nightmares, including those caused by anxiety, depression, and PTSD. As excepteuropa asked, is there anything in your life currently that might be causing them? Stress, fear, anxiety? Regular sleep patterns also help people to have better dreams. Don’t sleep on your back. This encourages a special kind of nightmare known as sleep paralysis, in which you feel like you are awake and alert while at the same time you cannot move. You might also feel breathless and/or a sense an “unknown presence” in the room and flowers aromatic oils also help :) I strongly recommend looking for or thinking about what those nightmares stem from!

Well we dream what is in our mind and then the dream last well on our mind too. As you rightly said, these nightmares have something to do with your past. And here comes my suggestion, I think you need to change the state of your mind, come out of depression and be happy. For that I can suggest do something adventurous, read inspiring novels or meet positive people and make yourself so occupied that you get hardly any time to think about past. And when you go to bed, you are so tired that you have a sound sleep. Yes it works, if you have kept yourself engaged and occupied all day, you sleep good and there is positivity everywhere. If you ever feel loneliness and need to talk just reach the inbox of person whom you are comfortable to talk with. Take care and stay positive, these dreams and depression is just a temporary feeling.

Right before going to bed I try to get my mind on something positive. Watching a funny movie, or talking with friends before I go to sleep usually keeps them away for me.