Nightmares in adults while sleeping

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Nightmares and night terrors both wake people up with great fear. They usually occur within the first few hours after we fall asleep. This article will provide more details about this type of nightmare.

1. Nightmares in adults

Nightmares appear with dreams associated with negative feelings, such as anxiety or fear. Occasional nightmares are usually nothing to worry about.
Although nightmares can be quite common on a case-by-case basis, nightmare disorders are relatively rare. Nightmare disorder can occur when nightmares occur frequently, causing negative feelings for the patient such as anxiety, disrupting sleep, making it difficult to function during the day, or creating feelings of fear. fear - terrible nightmares when the patient sleeps.

2. Symptoms of Nightmares

Nightmares while sleeping can happen rarely or more often, even several times a night. These scenes are generally brief, but they keep you awake and make it difficult to go back to sleep. Nightmares can impact and involve issues such as:
Your dreams seem vivid, realistic and very upsetting, often becoming more disturbing as the dream unfolds. Your dream content often involves threats to safety or survival but can also involve other disturbing topics. The dream wakes you up. You will experience a constant feeling of fear, anxiety, anger, sadness or disgust as a result of your dream. You feel sweaty or your heart pounding while you're in bed. You may be clearly aware of the dreams you have experienced upon waking and are able to recall the details of your dreams. Your dream causes distress that prevents you from falling back to sleep easily. Nightmares are considered a disorder only if:
The occurrence of nightmares occurs frequently. You have severe distress or impairment during the day, such as persistent anxiety or fear,... Problems with concentration or memory, or you can't stop thinking about images in his dreams. Performance problems occur at work, school, or in social situations. Behavioral problems associated with bedtime or fear of the dark.

3. Causes of Nightmares

Nightmare disorder - a sleep disorder involving unwanted experiences occurring at different times of sleep. Nightmares often occur during the sleep phase known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The exact cause of nightmares is still not well understood. However, nightmares in adults can be triggered by many factors.
Stress or anxiety . Sometimes, the normal stresses of everyday life, such as a problem at work or out in the community, trigger nightmares. Or it is possible that a major life change, such as moving house or the death of a loved one, could have a similar effect on the patient's state of mind. Injury. Nightmares often occur after an accident, trauma, physical or sexual abuse, or other traumatic event. Therefore, nightmares are very common in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sleepless. Changes in daily routine that cause irregular sleep and wake times or disrupt or reduce the amount of sleep can increase the risk of nightmares. Furthermore, increased nightmares may also be related to insomnia. Medicine. Certain medications - including antidepressants, blood pressure medications, beta blockers - are used to treat Parkinson's disease or to help with smoking cessation. All of these drugs can be associated with and cause nightmares. Stimulant abuse. Using or undergoing withdrawal from alcohol and drugs can cause nightmares. Other disorders. Nightmares can be related to neuropsychiatric problems such as depression and other mental health disorders. Furthermore, nightmares can occur along with some other medical conditions, such as heart disease or cancer. When the patient has disorders that cause inadequate sleep, it also leads to nightmares. Horror books and movies. For some people, reading scary books or watching scary movies, especially when this activity is done before bedtime, can be associated with nightmares.

4. Risk factors for nightmares

Nightmares may be more common when family members have a history of nightmares or sleep disturbances, such as talking while sleeping.

5. Complications of Nightmare

Excessive daytime sleepiness can make it difficult for the body to function in work and daily life. Mood effects, such as depression or anxiety, from dreams that continue to bother you. Negative thoughts or suicide or suicide attempts can be viewed as dangerous complications of nightmares.

6. Diagnosing nightmares

Nightmares cannot be routinely diagnosed with routine tests. Nightmares are considered a disorder only if they affect your mood, make you anxious, or keep you from getting enough sleep. To make an accurate diagnosis of nightmare disorder, your doctor will review your medical history and symptoms.
Test. You can have a physical exam to determine which conditions may be contributing to your nightmares. If your nightmares recur frequently, indicating underlying anxiety, your doctor may refer you to a mental health professional. Discuss symptoms. Nightmare disorder is usually diagnosed based on a description of your experience. Your doctor may ask about your family history of sleep problems to get more information about the condition. Your doctor may also ask you or your partner for more information about your sleep behaviors and discuss the possibility of other sleep disorders, if indicated. Nocturnal sleep study (polysomnography). If your sleep is severely disturbed, your doctor may recommend an overnight sleep study to help determine if nightmares are related to another sleep disorder. . Your doctor will use sensors placed on your body that will record and monitor your brain waves, blood oxygen levels, heart rate and breathing rate, as well as eye and leg movements as you sleep in relation to the signs of nightmares. Alternatively, your doctor may place a video camera to record your behavior during your sleep cycle.

7. Nightmare Treatment

You don't really need to treat nightmares. However, you may need treatment if nightmares make you feel miserable or disrupt your sleep and interfere with your daytime functioning.
Determining the exact cause of the nightmare disorder helps determine the appropriate treatment.
Medical treatment. If nightmares are related to an underlying medical condition, treatment is aimed at that problem. Treat stress or anxiety. If your mental health condition is affected, such as stress or anxiety, your doctor may recommend stress reduction techniques, counseling, or therapy with a mental health professional. Image rehearsal therapy. Often used with people who have nightmares as a result of PTSD. Visual rehearsal therapy involves changing the ending of the nightmare and ending with the wakeful state so that the nightmare is no longer threatening. Medicine. Rarely do you get medication to treat nightmares. However, a doctor may use medication that may be recommended for severe nightmares associated with PTSD.

8. Lifestyle and home remedies for nightmares

Establish a relaxation routine and do it regularly before going to bed. Establishing a consistent bedtime routine is quite important. Do these activities in a quiet, soothing state like reading, solving puzzles, listening to soft music, or taking a warm bath - before bed. Practicing meditation, deep breathing, or relaxation exercises can also help with nightmares. At the same time, make the bedroom comfortable and quiet for sleep so that you can have the best quality sleep.
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Reference articles: webmd.com, mayoclinic.org