Nightmare disorder: symptoms, causes, to treatment

Definition

What is nightmare disorder?

Nightmare disorder or nightmare disorder is a type of parasomnia (sleep disorder) in which you constantly experience nightmares during sleep.

Having nightmares from time to time is considered normal. However, with nightmare disorder, you experience nightmares so often that they make you afraid to sleep or wake up many times during the night. Nightmares often involve physical harm that threatens you in dreams or have sad themes and negative emotions.

How common is this condition?

This health condition is common. This disorder generally affects children or the elderly. Up to 50 percent of young children experience terrible nightmares that make them wake their parents. And 50-85 percent of adults report that they experience occasional nightmares. Nightmare disorder is more common in women than men. This can be overcome by reducing risk factors. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Signs & symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of nightmare disorder?

Nightmares usually appear during a stage called sleep rapid eye movemen t (REM). When you wake up from a nightmare, you are able to remember the details of the nightmare very clearly. Common symptoms of nightmare disorder are:

• Dreams appear real and become more terrifying with time.
• Dreams have dangers that threaten you.
• The dream wakes you up and prevents you from going back to sleep.
• You feel negative emotions when you wake up such as anxiety, fear, terror, anger, resentment, shame or disgust.
• Sweating or irregular heartbeat, but can't leave bed.
• You can think clearly as soon as you wake up and remember the details of your dream.
• Dreams appear near the end of bedtime.

Experiencing nightmare disorder can result in difficulties at school or work, or problems with daily tasks, such as driving and concentrating. This will also affect your mood and habits in life.

Some of the other symptoms or signs may not be listed above. If you feel anxious about these symptoms, consult your doctor immediately.

When should I see a doctor?

Contact your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Appears constantly and doesn't go away all the time
• Continue to disturb sleep
• Make you afraid to sleep
• Causes habitual problems during the day.

If you have any signs or symptoms listed above or have any questions, consult your doctor. Every body functions differently from one another. Always discuss with your doctor to find the best solution for your situation.

Cause

What causes nightmare disorder?

Nightmare disorder is often associated with parasomnia, which is a type of sleep disorder that involves unwanted experiences that occur while you are asleep.

Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, nightmares usually occur during a stage of sleep known as rapid eye movement (REM). The cause of nightmares is not certain.

Many things can cause nightmare disorder:

• Stress. Stress can arise from everyday sources such as school or work, but it may intensify when faced with life-changing events.
• Trauma. Nightmares are common after accidents, injuries or other traumatic events. Nightmares especially in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Sleep disturbance. If you don't get enough sleep, the nightmare may get worse.
• Drugs. Several medications can affect sleep, including certain antidepressants, blood pressure medications, beta blockers, and drugs to treat Parkinson's disease or help you quit smoking. Sometimes, stopping taking medication might also result in nightmares.
• Substance abuse. Using or stopping drinking alcohol and drugs can trigger nightmares.
• Creepy books and movies. Reading books or watching scary movies, especially before bed, may be associated with nightmares.
• Other abnormalities. Several medical conditions and mental health disorders and other sleep disorders may be associated with nightmares.

Apart from the things that have been mentioned above, certain foods are said to be the cause of nightmares. This is evidenced by a study initiated by Tore Nielsen, PhD, a psychology lecturer and chairman of the Dream and Nightmare Laboratory at Sacred Heart Hospital, University of Montreal on 17.8% of students from a total of 400 participants.

Risk factors

What increases my risk for nightmare disorder?

There are many risk factors for nightmare disorder, namely:

• Other sleep disorders
• Medical conditions
• Use of drugs
• Mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety or ptsd
• Substance abuse.

Treatment

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

How is this condition diagnosed?

You can diagnose nightmare disorder on your own if you have the above symptoms. If you have any of these symptoms, you should go to the doctor for professional opinion and get treatment. The doctor will first ask you about dreams and how often you have them and when they started to appear and how you felt because of the dreams.

Remember to tell your doctor if you have other sleep disorders or if you are taking medications that might be causing nightmares.

You may need to keep a sleep diary to help your doctor monitor your sleep patterns. This data will provide the doctor with clues about the cause of the problem and how to fix it.

If your sleep is severely disturbed, or if your doctor suspects an underlying problem, you may need to undergo a sleep study in a lab. In this test, you will be connected to a sleep monitor to record vital signs while you sleep.

What are the treatments for nightmare disorder?

In most cases, you will be referred to a sleep specialist to help you get back to normal sleep.

• Counseling - the therapist will help you express your thoughts and feelings to address the causes of your nightmares.
• Systematic desensitization - this method will help you deal with intense emotions more easily.
• Stress management - managing stress in your life with relaxation therapy can help you deal with nightmares.
• Medicines - Medicines are rarely used to treat nightmares, but may be recommended if you have a severe sleep disorder.

Home remedies

What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies that can help treat nightmare disorder?

The following lifestyle and home remedies may help treat nightmare disorder:

• Looking for comfort. Try sleeping next to someone to have ways to relax before bed, such as listening to music, reading books, or putting on aromatherapy.
• Talk about dreams. Remember that this dream is not real.
• Control stress in order to get quality sleep.
• Imagining a different ending in a nightmare.
• Provides security. Turning on the lights or leaving the door open can help overcome nightmares.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.