Health Topics for Mental and Emotional Health

Department of Psychiatry

Nightmares and sleep terrors

Everyone has bad dreams at times. If they happen once in a while, it is usually not anything to worry about. Some people dream a different dream every time they have a nightmare. Some people may have the same nightmare over and over again. People with a nightmare disorder have a severe problem with nightmares.

How can you tell if you have this disorder? You may have this if:

• you wake up over and over with nightmares
• the dreams seem to last a long time and are very frightening
• the nightmares usually involve threats to your life, your security, or your self-image
• you remember the nightmares in detail and
• the dreams or lack of sleep interfere with work, school, or your social life

Nightmares happen frequently in childhood, especially between the ages of three and six. Most children outgrow them. In a few people, they continue into adulthood. Females are more likely than males to have nightmares. Nightmares are different from sleep terrors.

With sleep terrors:

• you may wake up screaming or crying a few hours after going to sleep
• your heart rate and breathing are rapid
• people tell you later that they could not seem to comfort you
• you do not remember the dream and
• you will not remember the incident at all, unless other people tell you about it

Sleep terrors are much less common than nightmares in children and adults. Sleep terrors usually begin between the ages of four and twelve in children; usually they are outgrown. Adults may start having sleep terrors between the ages of twenty and thirty. You are more likely to have sleep terrors if someone else in your family has them or if they sleepwalk. Sleep terrors occur more in young boys than girls, but affect about equal numbers of men and women.

Counseling and therapy often helps people with nightmare disorders. Sometimes medicine helps with sleep disorders. The first step is a full medical checkup. Talk to your healthcare provider for help with strategies for more restful sleep.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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