Nightmare disorder
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Kiran Singh, M.D. [2]
Overview
Nightmare disorder is a sleep disorder characterized by frequent awakening from nightmares with a vivid remembrance of the dream. It is often caused by a major stressful event or from the use of SSRIs, such as Prozac and Effexor. Most cases reported begin at the age of 10 after a stressful life event. The frequency of the episodes is varied form person to person; generally one will suffer from three or four episodes every week.
Differential Diagnosis
- Bereavement
- Breathing-related sleep disorders
- Medication or substance use
- Antidepressants
- Amphetamine
- Antihypertensives
- Beta-adrenergic antagonists
- Cocaine
- Dopaminergics
- Melatonin
- smoking cessation aids
- Narcolepsy
- Nocturnal seizures
- Panic disorder
- REM sleep behavior disorder
- Sleep terror disorder
- Sleep-related dissociative disorders[1]
Epidemiology and Demographics
The prevalence of nightmare disorder is:
- 6,000 per 100,000 (6%) monthly among adults
- 1,000-2,000 per 100,000 (1%-2%) frequently among adults[1]
Risk Factors
- Genetic predisposition
- Irregular sleep-wake schedules
- Past adverse events
- Sleep deprivation
- Sleep fragmentation[1]
Diagnostic Criteria
DSM-V Diagnostic Criteria for Nightmare disorder [1]
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Specify current severity: Severity can be rated by the frequency with which the nightmares occur:
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