Nightmares and Disorders of Dreaming

Nightmares and Disorders of Dreaming

When a person goes to sleep, they hope to have a good night's sleep. Some people dream nice dreams while others have what we call nightmares. Some people go to sleep scared because they think that they are going to have a nightmare. They wake up screaming bloody murder because they have just had a horrible dream called a nightmare. When it comes to the human mind, it is hard for us to know why it acts a certain way, but we can always try to learn a little more about it to make sense out of why we have nightmares and dreams. There has been a lot of research on nightmares and dreams it's impossible to list. Nightmares and dreams are complex subjects that many people would like to know more about. There are various theories about nightmares and dreams that physicians do studies on to prove their meanings. Learning what causes dreams and nightmares will give a person the knowledge they need to decide whether they need treatment for recurring nightmares and dreams. Some people experience nightmares and dreams and they have them during all stages of sleep. Dreams are defined as a recall of mental activity that has occurred during sleep (Pagel, J. F., 2000). Sleep can be divided in four stages. Stage one is called the sleep onset. This is the beginning stage of sleep from the time a person close their eyes. Stage two is called light sleep. This stage occurs when the person is sleep and still can be awakened by a sound or someone touching them. Stages three and four are called deep sleep. These stages occur when a person is having non-rapid eye movement (REM) stages. The REM sleep cycle usually occurs cyclically every 90 minutes (Hartman, E., 2001). Dreams can be associated with one not getting enough sleep and diminished daytime performance. It is said that everyone dreams, but everyone does not recall his or her dreams. Others claim that they don't dream just because they can't remember them.

Nightmares are common in people that have experienced extreme traumatic experiences. Nightmares are defined as vivid and terrifying nocturnal episodes in which the dreamer is abruptly awakened from sleep (Pagel, J. F., 2000). Nightmares are also associated with the use of medication, primarily those medications that affect neurotransmitter levels of the central nervous system, such as antidepressants, narcotics, or barbiturates (Pagel, J. F., 2000). Using these medications will increase the chances of someone having nightmares. Nightmares can occur multiple times in a given night, or sometimes they can be very rare. Some people may experience the same nightmare over and over again, while others may experience some with a different subject. Most people that awaken from a nightmare can remember them in detail and they can remember most of the aspects of the nightmares. They are often too frightened to discuss them right after they happen, but would be willing to wait awhile and talk to a professional about it. There are also sleep disorder centers that specialize in helping people understand why they have nightmares and why they dream. These centers will help an individual get to the bottom of why they are having these unwanted nightmares and dreams.

Night terrors are another disorder that is often confused with nightmares. Night terrors are characterized by a sudden arousal from slow wave sleep with a piercing scream or cry, followed by autonomic and behavior malfunctions of intense fear. Night terrors are defined as episodes of sudden, intense terror in the night and these episodes usually occur in the first part of the night. Night terrors are more common in boys than in girls and most of the time the child will have no recollection of the event once it has occurred (Kryger, M. 2001). Some children have these occurrences less than once per month while some experience night terrors almost once per week and some experience them every night. Children who have night terrors once a week or month usually will have no harm done to themselves or others but children with episodes occurring almost every night, it will normally result in accidental physical injury to the child or others.

(Kryger, M. 2001). The difference between a night terror and a nightmare depends on a few things. One difference is the time that the attack occurs. Night terrors occur in the first part of sleep while nightmares occur in the third part of sleep. When a child experiences a night terror, he or she may have their eyes wide open and may look alert when they, in fact are not alert or comprehensive at all. Night terrors are referred to as "disorder of incomplete arousal from deep sleep". Most of the child's brain is shut down during an episode. A child will yell, walk around, scream, and thrash around during a night terror. It is suggested that a parent should not discuss a child's night terrors with him or her because they will have no recollection of it occurring at all. Parents should not try to awaken a child during a night terror. They should just hold the child close to them until the night terror is over.

The prevalence of nightmares varies by age group and by gender (Gibson, L, 2006). Nightmares are reportedly first experienced between the ages of 3 and 6 years old (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). For the children that have these nightmares, their parents are really concerned about them and how they will affect their sleeping habits in the future. Most children that have nightmares outgrow them and the ones that don't usually will have them in their adult years. Approximately 50% of adults report having at least an occasional nightmare (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Women have more nightmares than men do and will usually have two to four nightmares for every one nightmare reported by men. It is unknown whether men and women actually experience different rates of nightmares, or whether women are the only ones to report them (Gibson, L. E., 2006).

Research indicates that most people experience nightmares have sleep problems that are associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Nightmares are 1 of 17 possible symptoms of PTSD (Gibson, L. E., 2006). This condition is often associated with anxiety and mood disturbances, which may require the use of prescription drugs such as Prozac. Prozac is a drug that is usually used on patients that are being treated for depression. There are a lot of side affects