How Do Nightmares Affect You?
By Rich Bayer, Ph.D.
Jenna
was running as hard as she could. She was being chased by a frightening
mob. Hands grabbed at her from behind. Finally she stumbled and was caught
in their grips…
Robert
was climbing a sheer cliff. He kept looking down in fear at the
thousand-foot drop to the bottom. In an instant, he lost his footing and
started falling straight down…
Billy
was fighting a fierce dragon with bright red eyes. It got closer and
closer until finally it grasped him in its claws and opened its mouth to
bite…
Jill
felt trapped in a dark, tight crevice. Fear overwhelmed her as, no matter
how much she struggled, she couldn’t escape…
Each
of these was a nightmare. Each ended at the height of a fearful moment
when the person awoke. These represent four common nightmare themes: 1)
being chased, 2) falling, 3) being attacked by a monster—especially
common among children, and 4) being stuck.
What
Are Nightmares?
Everyone
knows what nightmares are. We all know when we’ve had one. But
scientists have yet to develop a single, thorough definition that explains
these frightening episodes that happen in our sleep.
Those
who have studied nightmares have gathered a lot of information however.
First of all, a nightmare is a dream. It is usually a frightening dream
that causes a sudden awakening in sleep. Upon waking, the dreamer
experiences intense fear or anxiety and has an immediate recall for
what’s going on in the dream. The dreamer becomes alert and usually
experiences increased heartbeat and rapid breathing, so returning to sleep
is often difficult. Typically the dreamer can describe the plot in detail.
This
explanation holds true for most but not all nightmares. For example, some
people don’t awaken suddenly from their nightmares. The nightmare
lingers and when the dreamer finally does waken, he or she may have only a
groggy recall of the plot.
Also,
there are other variations of dreams that could be called “nightmares”
because they cause a painful emotional response that awakens the dreamer,
but the emotional response is not fear. The response may be one of
sadness, guilt or anger.
For
example, people sometimes dream about loved ones who have recently died
and waken in overwhelming sadness. Sometimes people dream about a person
who has recently done them wrong and awaken in intense anger. And
sometimes people have dreams in which they have done something wrong
themselves and awaken with feelings of embarrassment or guilt.
Also
there are two sleep disorders similar to nightmares. They are “night
terrors” and “REM behavioral disorder.”
Night
terrors are nocturnal episodes of extreme anxiety or panic in which the
person moves all over the bed and may scream or yell. These are not
nightmares, as they do not occur in REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.
Typically people experiencing these wake everyone near them but don’t
awaken themselves. This sleep disorder is most common in children aged 4
to 12.
REM
behavioral disorder usually happens in middle-aged men. It is
characterized by vivid, violent, action-filled nightmares in which the
dreamers physically act out the images by flailing or punching, often
hurting anyone sleeping next to them. This sleep disorder is not common
and those who have it rarely have an associated mental health disorder.
Routine
nightmares, like other dreams, usually happen in the latter half of the
night. That’s the time when REM sleep predominates.
Nightmares
and Mental Health
People
experience more frequent nightmares at times when they’re feeling
stressed, anxious, or upset. Our dream sleep often reflects what’s
happening in our daily lives.
Also
nightmares occur more often in people with PTSD (post traumatic stress
disorder). Those with this disorder experience ongoing anxiety due to a
harrowing, past event such as fighting in a war or being the victim of
physical or sexual abuse. In this case, the nightmares are usually about
the traumatic event from the past. It’s as if the PTSD sufferer
reprocesses the stressful event over and over in their dreams.
Nevertheless,
the presence of nightmares by itself doesn’t mean that someone has a
mental health problem. But if nightmares cause a heightened emotional
state that persists for more than a half-hour, particularly if it bothers
the person for a large part of the day, then this could be a sign of an
underlying mental health problem.
What
Can We Do about Nightmares?
Generally,
people experiencing nightmares don’t require mental health treatment.
But treatment can help if nightmares cause anguish throughout the day or
if the nightmares cause too much loss of sleep. On the other hand, people
experiencing nightmares due to a mental health problem such as PTSD can
definitely be helped by ongoing counseling for their mental health
problem.
When
dealing with nightmares, what works is what people usually do. Upon waking
with a “bad dream,” we usually make an assessment of our situation. We
quickly recognize that we were dreaming and that the content of the dream
was not real. Then we feel it’s safe to go back to sleep.
Children
who awaken with bad dreams might need a parent’s help in recognizing
that the dream was not real and that there’s nothing to fear. Parents
can be rational and soothing at the same time.
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Rich Bayer,
Ph.D., is the CEO of Upper Bay Counseling and Support Services, Inc. and a
practicing psychologist.
For More Information Contact:
Upper Bay Counseling and Support Services, Inc.
200 Booth Street, Elkton, MD 21921
Tel: 410-996-5104
Toll Free: 877-587-7750
FAX: 410-996-5197
Internet: info@upperbay.org
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