Nightmare Disorder
Nightmare disorder, also known as dream anxiety disorder, is a sleep disorder characterized by frequent nightmares. The nightmares, which often portray the individual in a situation that jeopardizes their life or personal safety, usually occur during the REM stages of sleep.
Cluster Number:
Wiki Number: PW136
Diagnosis: Nightmare Disorder
US Patients: 4% of adults; 1% of children
World Patients:
Sex Ratio: M;W2
Age Onset:
Brain Area:
Symptoms: frequent nightmares involving personal safety, usually occurring during REM stages of sleep; remembers every detail of the dream
Progression: does not wake up screaming, but reduce daytime efficiencies from being “tired”; fear and physical aggression are the most common
Causes: PTSD, extreme stress, death of a loved one; 30% have other psychiatric illnesses
Medications: several antipsychotic medicines have reduced nightmares; hypnosis and relaxation may also help
Therapies: EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) have helped portions of those with PTSD or other threatening experiences.
Youtube Video: Nightmares and Treatment
Amazon or Library Book: Nightmareland
Click the book to link or buy from Amazon.
Support Group: sleepeducation.org; 630-737-9700
(American Academy of Sleep Medicine)
4 CURRENT ARTICLES
FROM PUBMED
The world-wide medical research
reports chosen for each diagnosis
Clicking each title opens the
PubMed article’s summary-abstract.
- Trajectories of positive affect in autistic individuals during the transition to adulthoodby James B McCauley on July 26, 2024
Recent research has revealed informative patterns about health, mental health, self-help skills, autism symptoms, and social skills during the transition to adulthood for autistic individuals. This study expands on these findings by examining how positive affect (e.g. excited) changes from age 15 to 30 years using a group of individuals first referred for autism at an early age. We also examined the agreement between caregiver-report and self-report on positive affect. We found different...
- Paradoxical Kinesia Induced by Nightmare: Unique Case Report and Insights regarding the Neural Mechanism Based on Human and Rat Studiesby Jorge Gelvane Tostes on July 17, 2024
CONCLUSION: This report presents the first documented case of paradoxical kinesia induced by nightmares in a patient with PD. This phenomenon raises questions about the neurological mechanisms involved, which are still not fully understood. Based on existing research conducted on both animal and human subjects, we propose that after processing the emotion of fear, the brain aversive system activates motor outputs to generate appropriate behavior. Thus, the brain aversive system converts the...
- Clinical safety of daridorexant in insomnia treatment: Analysis of FDA adverse event reportsby Qi Wang on July 17, 2024
CONCLUSION: Although some new potential AEs have been identified, these findings need further verification in broader datasets and long-term studies due to limitations in data sources and analysis methods. Future research should comprehensively assess the safety and effectiveness of daridorexant, providing more accurate guidance for medical professionals in the treatment of insomnia.
- Varenicline OTC Trial on Efficacy and Safetyby Jennifer Pearson on July 16, 2024
CONCLUSIONS: The results are suggestive that varenicline is safe and effective as an OTC medication.