Nightmare disorder is a psychological condition characterized by frequent and intense frightening dreams that negatively impact daily life. It differs from other parasomnias as the sleeper is fully awake and aware of their surroundings after waking up. Treatment options include psychological counseling, relaxation techniques, and stress reduction. The cause of nightmares is not fully understood, but they are thought to be related to stress.
Nightmare disorder, formerly known as dream anxiety disorder, is a psychological condition involving frequent and intensely frightening dreams that awaken the sleeper and significantly and negatively affect the person’s life. For a diagnosis, nightmares must not be caused by other medical or psychological conditions and must not occur as a side effect of a medication. Nightmare disorder is one of several sleep disorders that a person can suffer from, and there are important differences between this condition and normal nightmares and other sleep disorders. There are a number of treatments that can be tried for this condition, but there is no definitive cure.
Unwanted events that occur with sleep, such as nightmares, sleepwalking, and sleep paralysis, are called parasomnias. What differentiates nightmare disorder from other parasomnias is that when the sleeper wakes up, he is instantly and fully awake, aware of his surroundings, and remembers the dream in detail. The other parasomnias involve confusion, disorientation, or difficulty waking up fully.
Almost everyone has nightmares occasionally. What makes nightmare disorder different is the persistence, frequency, and impact on daily life of nightmares. He may be afraid to go to sleep, avoid sleep, and suffer from sleep deprivation and anxiety about sleep. This state of mind makes it difficult to concentrate and perform activities such as homework or job duties.
It is not known how many people have nightmare disorder because people rarely seek treatment for it. Children are generally more likely to have nightmares than adults, but this difference may be partly because children are more likely to tell people about nightmares. Women are also more likely to have nightmares than men, or perhaps more likely to report nightmares. Imaginative, creative, and sensitive people are thought to be more likely to have nightmares, but there isn’t much research into the cause of nightmares.
Nightmare disorder has no standard treatment. Psychological counseling can help address underlying issues or themes in nightmares, such as fear of failure or coping with loss. Relaxation techniques, such as meditation, yoga, and life changes to reduce stress, can also help because nightmares are thought to be related to stress. Keeping a journal of when nightmares occur and any precipitating events is also helpful in determining if there is a pattern to the nightmares.
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