You are watching something scary take place. You are trying to stop it and to get away, but you fail. And, suddenly, you get up from sleep drenched in sweat. Your forehead is covered in beads of perspiration, and your breathing is fast. It takes you a minute to realise that you are in your bedroom, safe from whichever monster you were seeing a few moments ago. You convince yourself it was a nightmare, and now, you are okay.
Does this scenario sound familiar? Do you know what fear-inducing nightmares mean? If your answer is yes, you may have a nightmare disorder. Although this sleeping disorder is rare, it is not unheard of. Here is what you need to know about it!
What is a nightmare disorder?
A nightmare can be explained as a disturbing dream that induces negative feelings of fear and anxiety. It awakens you from sleep and, occasionally, leaves you incapable of drifting back to slumber. While both girls and boys have nightmares, during the teen and young adult years, females see more bad dreams.
Although nightmares are most common in children, people of any age can have one. Experts believe that children begin seeing them between 3 and 6 years of age, and the tendency decreases after they are ten. Some people may even have them when becoming adults, while others may see bad dreams throughout their lives.
Although having nightmares is common, this disorder is relatively rare. It is when bad dreams occur often and lead to distress, disrupted sleep, problems with daytime functioning, and fear of going to bed that we call nightmare disorder.
What are the symptoms of nightmare disorder?
In people suffering from this sleeping disorder, nightmares occur during the second half of the night. They may appear more frequently, several times in one night. Typically, the episodes are brief and may make you get up from sleep. In some cases, people even report trouble getting back to sleep. Here are a few symptoms that are commonly experienced in this disorder:
The dreams are real, vivid, and upsetting. In some cases, they may become more disturbing with every passing moment.
The nightmares are horrific and cause you to wake up.
They cause distress that prevents you from getting back to slumber.
When you get up from the nightmare, you can recall the details.
The person experiencing the bad dream feels scared, anxious, sad, angry, and disgusted.
The dreams are often about threats to safety or survival.
How can you distinguish occasional nightmares from nightmare disorder?
Nightmares are considered to be a part of the disorder only if:
They are frequent occurrences.
They lead to daytime sleepiness, fatigue, or low energy.
The nightmares are causing behavioural problems related to fear of the dark.
You are experiencing trouble with performing at work or school.
It leads to impairments during the day, like anxiety or persistent fear.
When to contact a doctor?
It is advised to consult your doctor:
If the nightmares occur frequently and persist over time.
They lead to fear of going to bed.
Dreams cause daytime behavioural problems.
These are a few things you must know about nightmare disorder.
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