There can be a number of psychological triggers that cause nightmares in adults. Though it's possible, it has not been confirmed whether this cycle could lead to nightmare disorder. Sleep deprivation may contribute to adult nightmares, which themselves often cause people to lose additional sleep. If you notice a difference in your nightmare frequency after a change in medication, talk with your doctor. Withdrawal from medications and substances, including alcohol and tranquilizers, may trigger nightmares. Non-psychological medications, including some blood pressure medications, can also cause nightmares in adults. Drugs that act on chemicals in the brain, such as antidepressants and narcotics, are often associated with nightmares. A number of medications also are known to contribute to nightmare frequency. Some people have nightmares after having a late-night snack, which can increase metabolism and signal the brain to be more active. But they can also be caused by a variety of factors and underlying disorders. Nightmares in adults are often spontaneous. They are experienced as feelings, not dreams, so people do not recall why they are terrified upon awakening. Night terrors typically occur in the first few hours after falling asleep. If you've gone through a traumatic event, such as an attack or accident, you may have recurrent nightmares about your experience.Īlthough nightmares and night terrors both cause people to awake in great fear, they are different. For example, a lot of adults have nightmares about not being able to run fast enough to escape danger or about falling from a great height. There are, though, some common nightmares that many people experience. The subjects of nightmares vary from person to person. Because periods of REM sleep become progressively longer as the night progresses, you may find you experience nightmares most often in the early morning hours. Nightmares tend to occur most often during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, when most dreaming takes place. They often set your heart pounding from fear. Nightmares are vividly realistic, disturbing dreams that rattle you awake from a deep sleep. Then you can make changes to reduce their occurrence. And between 2% and 8% of the adult population is plagued by nightmares.Īre your nightmares causing you significant distress? Are they interrupting your sleep on a regular basis? If so, it's important to determine what's causing your adult nightmares. While it's true nightmares are more common among children, one out of every two adults has nightmares on occasion.
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