Nightmare

"Bad dream" redirects here. For other uses, see Nightmare (disambiguation) and Bad dream (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Night terror, a sleep disorder resulting in a state of panic.

The Nightmare (Henry Fuseli, 1781) Detroit Institute of Arts
Nightmare
SpecialtySleep Medicine, Psychology, Psychiatry
CausesStress, anxiety, fever

A nightmare, also known as a bad dream,[1] is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety, disgust or sadness. The dream may contain situations of discomfort, psychological or physical terror, or panic. After a nightmare, a person will often awaken in a state of distress and may be unable to return to sleep for a short period of time.[2] Recurrent nightmares may require medical help, as they can interfere with sleeping patterns and cause insomnia.

Nightmares can have physical causes such as sleeping in an uncomfortable position or having a fever, or psychological causes such as stress or anxiety. Eating before going to sleep, which triggers an increase in the body's metabolism and brain activity, can be a potential stimulus for nightmares.[3]

The prevalence of nightmares in children (5–12 years old) is between 20 and 30%, and for adults between 8 and 30%.[4] In common language, the meaning of nightmare has extended as a metaphor to many bad things, such as a bad situation or a scary monster or person.

  1. ^ Harper, Douglas. "nightmare". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  2. ^ American Psychiatric Association (2000), Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed, TR, p. 631
  3. ^ Stephen, Laura (2006). "Nightmares". Psychologytoday.com. Archived from the original on 31 August 2007. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ Peter, Helga; Penzel, Thomas; Jörg, Hermann Peter (2007). Enzyklopädie der Schlafmedizin. Heidelberg: Springer Medizin Verlag. ISBN 978-3-540-28839-8.