Why Do I Have Nightmares So Often?

Do you experience repeated occurrences of extended, extremely distressing, and well-remembered dreams that usually involve efforts to avoid threats to survival, security, or physical integrity?

On awakening from the dysphoric, distressing dreams, do you rapidly become oriented and alert?

Does the sleep problem cause significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning?

While it is unlikely that you have a serious problem related to nightmares, you may be displaying a sign related to it. Being chased but you can’t run? Falling into a black hole? Most us can remember such a dream for its vividness or discomfort. Bad dreams, or nightmares, can make you wake up at night and can make it hard for you to fall back asleep. It’s not known what exactly causes nightmares or why we experience them. But things like our activities, relationships, traumatic experiences and sometimes medication can have an influence. You can always reach out to your doctor if nightmares make it hard for you to sleep at night or impair daily functioning.

While it is unlikely that you have a serious problem with nightmares, you are displaying some symptoms related to it. Nightmares are dreams that cause strong feelings of distress, fear, or anxiety. They feel vivid and intense. Usually when you wake up from a nightmare, you experience sweating, heavy heartbeats or sometimes even tears. The details of the nightmare are often well remembered. There are several factors that may cause someone to get nightmares: being stressed, feeling anxious, insomnia and other sleep disorders. If you frequently have nightmares and they impair your sleep and daytime behavior, it may be important to talk with your doctor.

Unfortunately, you are displaying symptoms typically seen among individuals who have nightmare disorder. In that case, nightmares happen more than occasionally. They will become the cause of sleep anxiety. Nightmare disorder is a sleep disorder and is characterized by frequent and persistent nightmares that impair sleeping behavior, make you feel anxious to go to sleep and affect your daily activities. Nightmares can also be attributable to the effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication), or a symptom of PTSD. It may be important to discuss your symptoms with your doctor, he will determine the underlying condition and prescribe the right treatment (and/or medication).