Overview
Nightmare disorder, also called parasomnia, is a condition in which a person experiences frequent vivid nightmares. During the night, we go through the sleep cycle four to six times, with the length of REM sleep becoming longer each time. Nightmares occur most often during the REM stage, so patients are more likely to have them during the last half of the night.
Everyone experiences nightmares from time to time. It is when they become recurrent and create problems for the patient that the situation needs to be addressed. There are numerous triggers that can serve as a catalyst for frequent nightmares, including trauma, stress, medications, sleep deprivation, scary movies and books, and substance abuse. Additionally, certain medical
Nightmare disorder, also called parasomnia, is a condition in which a person experiences frequent vivid nightmares. During the night, we go through the sleep cycle four to six times, with the length of REM sleep becoming longer each time. Nightmares occur most often during the REM stage, so patients are more likely to have them during the last half of the night.
Everyone experiences nightmares from time to time. It is when they become recurrent and create problems for the patient that the situation needs to be addressed. There are numerous triggers that can serve as a catalyst for frequent nightmares, including trauma, stress, medications, sleep deprivation, scary movies and books, and substance abuse. Additionally, certain medical