Who is affected?
Up to 90% of people with this trauma-related condition also experience nightmare disorder.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
This is the main emotion nightmares cause, though others like shame or disgust may also occur.
What is fear?
Researchers theorize that this mood-altering symptom, characterized by being consistently irritable and paranoid, may influence nightmares.
Hyperarousal
The main form of psychotherapy for nightmare disorder, which includes IRT and ERRT, is based on this type of therapy.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
A pattern of repeated frightening and vivid dreams that cause significant distress or impaired functioning.
nightmare disorder
This is the approximate percentage range of the general U.S. population affected by nightmare disorder.
2% to 8%
Sweating, shortness of breath, and a racing heart are examples of this type of symptom that may accompany a nightmare.
Physical symptoms
This theory suggests people with nightmare disorder continue to activate fear memories during sleep, due to difficulty combining fearful memories with new contexts.
Impaired fear extinction
This specific therapy involves reimagining a nightmare with a less frightening outcome and is the most effective recommended treatment for adults.
Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT)
The phase of sleep, short for rapid eye movement, during which nightmares typically occur.
REM sleep
A person with this mood disturbance, along with depression, is more likely to be affected by nightmare disorder.
Anxiety
Along with physical well-being and security, threats to this are a common theme of nightmares.
Survival
This substance, found in tobacco products, is listed as one that can cause nightmares.
Nicotine
This is an important homework component of IRT, where the patient practices the revised dream daily.
Rehearsing the revised dream
This level of severity is described as having nightmares on average less than once per week.
Mild
People with this breathing-related sleep disorder are more likely to be affected by nightmare disorder.
Sleep apnea
This daytime symptom, also called hypersomnia, can result from disturbed sleep.
Daytime sleepiness
Withdrawal from misuse of this substance, commonly consumed in drinks, can cause nightmares.
Alcohol.
This is one of the medications that can treat both PTSD-associated and non-PTSD nightmare disorder.
Prazosin
This duration classifies a nightmare disorder as "chronic."
Six months
Untreated chronic nightmare disorder increases the risk of attempting and re-attempting this.
$uic!de
This is a phrase for the refusal or reluctance to go to sleep, which can be caused by nightmare disorder.
Sleep resistance
This class of heart and blood pressure medications is listed among those that can sometimes cause nightmares.
Beta-blockers
This class of medications, like Olanzapine and Aripiprazole, may be considered if psychotherapy does not help.
Antipsychotics (or specific medication names like Olanzapine)
This is the broader category of behavioral sleep abnormalities, under which nightmare disorder is classified.
Parasomnias