Nightmares

Nightmares in children and adults are not uncommon, but a small segment of the population suffers from nightmares on a regular basis. The vivid nature of nightmares can cause them to remain in memory long after waking.

Causes of Nightmares

Nightmares can occur due to a variety of physical, mental and emotional causes. Common triggers of nightmares include:
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Anxiety
  • Fever
  • Post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD)
  • Pregnancy
  • Prescription or illicit drugs
  • Psychiatric illness
  • Stress
  • Withdrawals from addictive drugs.
In adults, nightmares seem to be more common in individuals who are artistic, creative or particularly sensitive to stress.

Night Terrors and Nightmares in Children

Nightmares in children are common. Children may wake up frightened or distressed after nightmares, and may need comforting before they can sleep again.
Night terrors are different from nightmares in children. Unlike nightmares, which happen during REM sleep, night terrors occur during non-REM sleep. During night terrors the child may scream, sweat and breathe rapidly. The child's pupils are often enlarged. Some children sleepwalk during night terrors.
During night terrors children resist comfort. If your child is having a night terror, speak to him calmly and don't yell at or shake him. Children usually have no memory of night terrors upon awakening.

Treating Nightmares

Treatment for nightmares varies, depending on the root cause of the problem. For example, while someone with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may need therapy and prescription drugs to reduce nightmares, a person experiencing drug withdrawal may have to endure nightmares until after detox ends.
Nightmares in children are rarely a sign of a serious problem, but repeated traumatic nightmares may require the help of a therapist. Therapists can help children understand the meaning of dreams and identify their source.
Nightmares can also encourage self-exploration in adults. Some people use dream interpretation to turn the negative experience of having a nightmare into a positive learning experience.
Since most occasional nightmares are linked to stress, incorporating more exercise, relaxation techniques and meditation into daily life can help reduce the occurrence of nightmares. Should nightmares persist, consult a doctor.

Nightmares and the Meaning of Dreams

The meaning of dreams is debatable at best, and perhaps even more so when nightmares are concerned.
While many dream interpretation systems exist, most are unscientific. Psychotherapy may explore the meaning of dreams, but the goal is to help the individual gain insight into his or her thought processes and personal issues rather than decode the meaning of dreams in a literal sense.
Books that provide lists of dream images and their meanings are of limited help in dream interpretation, as not everyone interprets events or images in the same way.
While the meaning of dreams and nightmares is open to debate, the results of nightmares are better understood. Nightmares can trigger a range of emotions, including anger, anxiety, depression, fear and guilt. None of these emotions encourage sleep after nightmares.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pernicious Anemia: Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Image
Anemia  is a blood disorder in which the number of red blood cells or the amount of hemoglobin is lower than normal. With fewer red blood cells or hemoglobin, insufficient oxygen is delivered to the body 's cells. Pernicious anemia  is a type of anemia caused by a deficiency in vitamin B12. In pernicious anemia, the lack of vitamin B12 is due to the body 's inability to produce enough  intrinsic factor , a protein necessary for the absorption of vitamin B12. Pernicious anemia is a type of  megaloblastic anemia . Megaloblastic anemia is defined as, "a blood disorder characterized by anemia, with red blood cells that are larger than normal, usually resulting from a deficiency of folic acid or of vitamin B12 .  " (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Pernicious anemia by any other name . . . Pernicious anemia is known by a number of other names, including: macrocytic achylic anemia congenital pernicious anemia juvenile pernicious anemia vitamin B12 deficienc
Keep reading

Stress Relaxation Techniques

The ultimate goal in stress coping and management is to reduce the negative effects of stress. Different relaxation techniques have proved successful and can be used based on individual preference. Brief descriptions of various techniques follow. If you are interested in pursuing the use of these techniques further, more information is available in books or on tapes. These books and tapes can be purchased at bookstores or may be accessible at your library. Deep Breating as a Relaxation Technique Deep breathing is the most basic relaxation technique and is often the foundation for other methods. The primary benefit is that deep breathing can be done anywhere and anytime. It is beneficial to practice deep breathing several times a day. The methodology consists of completely filling the lungs when breathing so that the abdomen expands out ward. You begin by taking a deep breath and then exhaling slowly through the mouth. A hand can be placed on the stomach to ensure that it is fully e
Keep reading

Nutrition & Cystic Fibrosis

Image
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects the body's exocrine glands, including the various mucus and sweat glands found throughout the body. Since cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease, most people with the disease are usually diagnosed by their first birthday. The most common problems due to cystic fibrosis are related to the lungs and the digestive system. In the lungs, the mucus produced by the various exocrine glands is abnormally thick, creating obstructions in the breathing passageways and, eventually, damage to the lungs. Furthermore, the thick mucus creates an ideal breeding ground for various bacteria and other organisms, which results in frequent lung infections, damage to the lungs and, ultimately, respiratory failure. Cystic fibrosis also affects the pancreas. The pancreas is responsible for producing various enzymes to aid in digestion, but in cystic fibrosis the pancreas is unable to excrete sufficient amounts of pancreatic enzymes to help digest foo
Keep reading