Kristin WolgemuthNightmare Disorder
October 15th 2009 18:02
sleeping peacefully
Nightmare disorder occurs when a person has an anxiety attack in his or her sleep. This happens mostly to children, but it can affect adults as well, especially victims of trauma. The onset of these nightmares usually occurs before the age of 20, which accounts for more than 2/3 of cases. When the onset is during childhood, many children will outgrow the disorder. However, when the onset is after the age of 20, the symptoms generally persist for decades. People with mental health or physical health problems are especially at risk for developing nightmare disorder.
The nightmares occur during REM sleep and can increase heart rate, breathing rate, and sweating, along with an increase in stimulation to the sympathetic nervous system. People often remember these frightening dreams in great detail. There are often recurring themes or patterns to the dreams.
There are a few diagnostic criteria one must meet in order to be said to have nightmare disorder. They are as follows:
• The person repeatedly awakens with detailed recall of long, frightening dreams. These usually occur in the second half of the sleep or nap period and concern threats to security, self-esteem or survival.
• The person quickly becomes alert and oriented upon awakening.
• These experiences (or resulting sleep disturbance) cause clinically important distress or impair work, social or personal functioning.
• They don't occur solely during another mental disorder (such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or a delirium).
• The symptoms are not directly caused by a general medical condition or substance use, including medications and drugs of abuse.
Treatment for this disorder can be as simple as comforting the child or adult who is having bad dreams. In some cases, psychotherapy is helpful, especially is the patient has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or the like. Medications such as benzodiazepines also work well in relaxing a patient, therefore reducing or even eliminating the stress that occurs during sleep.
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