Nightmare

A nightmare is a dream that can cause a strong emotional response, commonly fear or terror, but can also cause depression, anxiety, and deep sadness. A nightmare can contain situations of danger, discomfort or physical or psychological panic. Regularly, people who suffer from it wake up in a state of anguish, with an emotional impact on the rest of the day and with the inability to return to sleep for a prolonged period of time.

Nightmares can have physical causes, such as sleeping in an uncomfortable position or having an illness such as fever, or physiological causes such as stress or anxiety and even drug and alcohol ingestion. Eating before bed, which increases the body's metabolism and brain activity, is a potential cause of nightmares. Recurring nightmares that interfere with sleep patterns and cause insomnia may require medical help.

Description

Nightmare is a parasomnia related to REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. The sleeping person has a dream characterized by fear and anxiety that can wake him up. Nightmares come to be considered a sleep disorder when, due to their frequency and intensity, they interfere with the person's daily activity. Nightmares occur during periods of rapid eye movement sleep (REM phase, in Spanish rapid eye movement, also called REM phase or sleep).

During this phase the person lies still while sleeping. They are more frequent in the second half of the night. It can also occur in stage II sleep. In this case, it is possible that they are accompanied by myoclonic movements. Nightmares should not be confused with the night terrors that appear in stages III and IV of sleep. Nightmares are most frequent between the ages of 4 and 12, and usually decrease with advancing age. Sometimes it can be accompanied by a feeling of tightness in the chest and difficulty breathing (see sleep paralysis).

Symptoms

May occur rarely or more frequently; They are usually brief, but cause the person to wake up in anguish due to their frightening content. Going back to sleep will be very difficult.

A nightmare is perceived as vivid and real, and is very disturbing and often becomes more disturbing as the dream progresses; Usually the plot is related to threats to safety and/or survival, but it can have other very disturbing themes, and a person who suffers wakes up in anguish.

Some symptoms include feelings of fear, anxiety, anger or sadness, sweating, grief, not being able to sleep, and a very pounding heartbeat. Upon awakening from a nightmare, the subject suffers panic, tachycardia, rapid breathing, sweating, with dilated pupils and even crying.

Nightmares are considered a parasomnia if you have recurring nightmares, distress or significant disability during the day, such as anxiety or persistent fear or anxiety at bedtime from having a nightmare, problems with concentration or memory, inability to stop thinking thinking about nightmare images, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, low energy, trouble functioning in work, school, or social situations, and behavioral problems related to bedtime or fear of the dark.

A doctor should only be consulted if they occur frequently and continue over time, routinely disrupt sleep, cause fear and anxiety about going back to sleep, and cause daytime behavior problems or difficulties with functioning.

History

Until about the 18th century, nightmares were often considered the works of monsters, which were believed to sit on the sleepers' chests, weighing them down, giving rise to the name nightmare (name derived from weight). Various forms of magic and spirit possession were also considered causes. In Europe in the 19th century and well into the 20th century, nightmares were believed to be caused by digestive problems.

It is now known that nightmares are triggered by physiological causes, such as high fever, or by psychological causes, such as unusual psychic trauma or stress in the sleeper's life. Occasional body movements in nightmares can serve to wake the sleeper, helping to avoid the feeling of fear, which is one of the components of nightmares. Generally, when the individual wakes up after having a nightmare, he does not re-experience it when he falls asleep again.

Causes

Although the cause of nightmares is unknown, here are some examples of causes that trigger nightmares:

Stress and anxiety

Stress is a feeling of physical or emotional tension. It can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. Stress is your body's reaction to a challenge or demand.

Anxiety is a mental state characterized by great restlessness, intense excitement, and extreme insecurity. Some examples of these causes are problems at home and/or school, a move, the death of a loved one, or a traumatic event.

Trauma and Trauma

A trauma is an event that profoundly threatens the well-being or life of an individual, as well as the consequence of that event in the mental structure or emotional life of the same. A trauma or physical trauma is a situation in which there is damage to the body; In general, they are frequent after suffering serious injuries that put their lives at risk and can cause secondary complications.

They are frequent after suffering an accident or serious illness, sexual or psychological abuse and even to people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Sleep deprivation

Sleep deprivation is the condition of insufficient sleep and can be chronic or acute. Very prolonged sleep deprivation can cause fatigue, drowsiness, clumsiness, weight loss or gain, and negatively affects the brain and cognitive functions. When a person has frequent changes at bedtime, they may have insomnia, lack of sleep, etc.

Sleep disorders and pathologies

Dyssomnias or sleep disorders or sleep disorders are a broad group of conditions that affect the normal development of the sleep-wake cycle. Some sleep disorders can be very serious and interfere with an individual's physical, mental, and emotional functioning. Some examples are like sleep apnea, narcolepsy, alcoholism, etc.

Medicines, alcohol and drug use

Some medicines, such as antidepressants, antihypertensives, beta-blockers, treatments for Parkinson's disease and some treatments to stop smoking, excessive alcohol use and drugs, such as opioids, can cause nightmares.

Depression, Mental Disorders, and Illness

Depression is a psychiatric and psychological diagnosis that describes a temporary or permanent mood disorder, characterized by feelings of despondency, unhappiness and guilt, in addition to causing a total or partial inability to enjoy things and events. events of daily life (anhedonia). Depressive disorders may be, to a greater or lesser degree, accompanied by anxiety.

A disease is an alteration and deviation of the physiological state in one or several parts of the body, for generally known causes, manifested by characteristic symptoms and signs, and whose evolution is more or less predictable. Some examples of diseases that trigger nightmares are like cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Substance Abuse

Substance abuse, also called drug abuse, is the use of drugs in amounts or methods that are harmful to the same person or others. It is a form of substance-related disease. Different definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, medical, and criminal justice contexts.

In some cases, delinquent or antisocial behavior occurs when the person is under the influence of a drug, and long-term personality changes can also occur in people. In addition to the potential physical, social, and psychological harm, the use of some drugs can also result in criminal penalties, although these vary widely by local jurisdiction.

Late Lunch

If a person eats before bed, it can increase the body's metabolism and brain activity. Going to bed with a full stomach can cause brain waves that induce nightmares. 7 out of 10 people who ate ice cream and candy bars before bed had nightmares. Some foods and/or drinks are:

• Spicy sauce: Eating spicy food before sleeping can cause stomach acidity and inflammation, which causes problems to reconcile sleep and also stressful dreams. The spicy alters the body's temperature, which also alters dreams.
• Cheese or other dairy: Eating cheese before sleeping is tied to the appearance of nightmares. It may be due to the fact that they are very difficult to digest and make the intestine work longer during rest hours.
• Refreshment: As a soda or soda can have large amounts of sugar and caffeine, soda makes the brain stay active and relaxation complications, causing stress and undesirable dreams.
• Chocolate: Like soda, chocolates contain substances that stimulate the brain and do not let it rest.
• Red meat: Red meats have saturated fats that cause increased digestion effort, preventing the body from resting well and stressing.

Horror books and movies

For many people, horror books and movies (they cause fear, fear, disgust, disgust, horror, discomfort, or worry) cause nightmares due to their frightening, terrifying, and/or disturbing content.

Treatment

• Follow a healthy sleep routine: For that you should try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Unless a person feels sick or has not slept enough the night before, it is recommended to avoid naps during the day, eat or exercise just before sleeping and movies or fear books before going to sleep.
• Fix a regular and relaxing routine before sleeping: It is important to have a consistent routine to lie down. You can do quiet and calm activities, such as reading books, solving puzzles or taking a warm bath before going to sleep. Meditation, deep breathing, or relaxation exercises can also help. In addition, it is recommended that the bedroom be comfortable and quiet to sleep.
• Offer tranquilizers: If a person has problems with nightmares, it is necessary to stay calm, be patient and calm. When a person (like a child) wakes up from a nightmare, he must react quickly and reassure him in bed. This could prevent future nightmares.
• Talk about sleep: That is why a person should be asked to describe the nightmare, like what happened, who was in the dream, why he caused fear, etc. Then, the other person must be reminded that nightmares are not real (since dreams are images and events that are imagined while one sleeps and is perceived as vivid and real) and will not be hurt.
• Imagine another outcome: If a person has a frightening outcome, a happy outcome for the nightmare can help; the person should be encouraged to make a picture of the nightmare, to "talk" the characters or to write about the nightmare in a diary. Sometimes a little creativity can help.
• Control stress: If stress or anxiety is a problem, you should talk about it. Some simple activities are required to relieve stress, such as deep breathing or relaxation. A mental health professional can help, if necessary.
• Provide relief measures: A person may feel safer if he sleeps with his favorite stuffed animal (for children), his favorite blanket or other comforting object. The door of the person's room should be left open during the night so that he does not sit alone. The room door should also be left open, in case the other person needs comfort during the night.
• Use nightlight: Keeping a light on at night in the room of the other person, if he wakes up during the night, the light could be comforting.

Complications

• Excessive day sleepiness that may become difficult at work and/or school or problems with daily tasks such as driving and concentrating.
• Problems of mood or humor, such as depression or anxiety due to dreams that continue to bother.
• Resistance to go to bed or anxiety and impossibility to sleep or reconcile sleep for fear of having another nightmare.
• Emotional impact for the rest of the day.
• Suicide thoughts or suicide attempts.

Risk factors

Nightmares are frequently recurring in family members with a history of nightmares, sleep disorders, or sleep parasomnias, such as sleep talking.

In art and literature

• Henry Fuseli.
• Coleridge.
• Gabriel García Márquez: On September 20, 1954, journalist and writer Gabriel García Márquez referred to his own nightmares during an interview in the radio program What is his hobby? by the HJCK Emisora.

There are three kinds of nightmares: the terrific, which are a lower class, the perfect type of vulgar nightmares; the absurd, which are the most common, and finally the absolute nightmares, almost impossible to define, whose differences with the most ineffable and ordinary dreams can only be established by the experts.

The first (world type) is reserved exclusively for apprentices. Among them is the indecorous nightmare of the dreamer persecuted by the bull, that of the infinite spiral staircase and, in general, all the starring animals: mice, bats, snakes, spiders. They are too easy a nightmare that are usually avoided with a good laxative like the 'delirium trémens'.

... Anyone with a minimal experience in the habit of dreams can join in half of an absurd nightmare and call it to order. The typical absurd, absolutely indecent nightmare is that of the man who dreams that he is burying himself with the shattered head on his knees. To suffer that kind of nightmare is to confuse the hobby with schizophrenia...

• Jorge Luis Borges: At a conference in 1977 he spoke of his particular nightmares and gave a historical account of the various interpretations of nightmares. This talk is in the compilation published under the title "Seven Nights".

Folklore

The popular explanation of the nightmare as an attack by a supernatural being can be observed in these two testimonies, the first Spanish and the second Neo-Hellenic:

The Pesanta, a black, thick and heavy bitch like lead, intensely hairy, with a terrible iron leg, with which she squeezes everyone at her night step down the street. It passes through the eye of the locks, below the doors and, if you need it, filters through the walls. It is pleased to get on top of the chest during sleep and oppress breathing, causing very agitated and desperate nightmares and dreams.

Joan Amades, “The children’s ogres”, Revista de Dialectología y Tradiciones Populares, 13, 1957, p. 262.

The Mora is a rich and very powerful Lamna. He walks alone at night and every time he finds himself on his way to sleeping men he sits in his chest and crushes them. And it's so heavy that the one you're crushing moves like an ox. However, if a man is not immersed in sleep and sees it and takes away his fez, then whatever he asks him, wealth and hair, he will give it to him, as long as he returns the fez.

Nikolaos Politis, TraditionsNot 899.