Nightmare Disorder
- A-B
- C-D
- E-F
- G-H
- I-J
- K-L
- M-N
- O-P
- Q-R
- S-T
- U-V
- W-X
- Y-Z
A sleep disorder characterized by repeated, vivid, and disturbing dreams that cause significant distress or impairment in daily life. These nightmares typically occur during REM sleep and involve threats to survival, security, or physical integrity. While nightmares are common, nightmare disorder is diagnosed when the nightmares are frequent, intensely distressing, and interfere with social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
Symptoms include frequent, disturbing, and well-remembered nightmares that cause significant distress or impairment during the day, such as anxiety and fear of going to sleep, difficulty concentrating, and problems functioning in daily life. The individual quickly becomes alert upon waking, recalling the terrifying dream content. Nightmares are not a disorder if they are infrequent or don’t significantly impact daily functioning or cause distress.