How to Diagnose Nightmare Disorder
Determine if you wake up from vivid nightmares., Notice if you wake up with feelings of anxiety., Decide if the nightmares are interfering with your life., Identify if your nightmares give you physical symptoms., Eliminate other reasons for...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine if you wake up from vivid nightmares.
One of the symptoms and diagnostic criteria of nightmare disorder is waking up often from vivid nightmares.
You may remember many details from the dream, and the dream may have been extremely long or feel like it was very long.
The nightmares often have narratives and are very elaborate.In the nightmare, you may feel threats to your survival, security or self-esteem.
When you awaken, you feel alert and oriented instead of disoriented or confused. -
Step 2: Notice if you wake up with feelings of anxiety.
When you have nightmare disorder, the nightmares usually feel real and you wake up with emotions from the nightmares, such as feeling scared, sad, disgusted, or angry.Generally, you will wake up feeling intense fear or anxiety.
When you wake up, you may feel restless or upset because of your nightmare.You may vividly remember your dream, which makes you hyper aware of your surroundings.
You may be extremely alert and on edge when you wake up. , If your nightmares are interfering with your everyday life, you may be suffering from nightmare disorder.
Nightmare disorder causes problems with your work, social interactions, and other aspects of your life.For example, your child may have nightmare disorder if he or she is always disrupting your sleep because of nightmares.
Nightmare disorder may cause you to be so tired or sleepy that your work is impaired.
You may become afraid to fall asleep due to your nightmare disorder. , If you have nightmare disorder, you may experience physical symptoms upon waking.
You may be woken up from the dream with a start or even jerking awake.
Because of your emotional response to the nightmare, you may have trouble falling asleep again.Upon waking, your heart may be pounding or you may be sweating. , You may have nightmare disorder if your symptoms cannot be attributed to other conditions or reasons.
Eliminating other possibilities for the nightmares makes the symptoms only due to the disorder.For example, you need to make sure that your nightmares are not caused by recreational drugs or alcohol.
Make sure you don’t have another mental condition, such as PTSD or delirium, or an underlying medical condition. , Everyone has nightmares.
However, nightmare disorder is more common in certain age groups than others.
Children are generally the most common group diagnosed with nightmare disorder.
However, teens and adults can have nightmare disorders, or children can have nightmare disorder throughout their entire lives.Nightmare disorder usually occurs in children between the ages of three and
18.
Most children get nightmares before around age
10.
Girls tend to have more nightmares during the teen years. -
Step 3: Decide if the nightmares are interfering with your life.
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Step 4: Identify if your nightmares give you physical symptoms.
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Step 5: Eliminate other reasons for nightmares.
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Step 6: Identify if you are at risk.
Detailed Guide
One of the symptoms and diagnostic criteria of nightmare disorder is waking up often from vivid nightmares.
You may remember many details from the dream, and the dream may have been extremely long or feel like it was very long.
The nightmares often have narratives and are very elaborate.In the nightmare, you may feel threats to your survival, security or self-esteem.
When you awaken, you feel alert and oriented instead of disoriented or confused.
When you have nightmare disorder, the nightmares usually feel real and you wake up with emotions from the nightmares, such as feeling scared, sad, disgusted, or angry.Generally, you will wake up feeling intense fear or anxiety.
When you wake up, you may feel restless or upset because of your nightmare.You may vividly remember your dream, which makes you hyper aware of your surroundings.
You may be extremely alert and on edge when you wake up. , If your nightmares are interfering with your everyday life, you may be suffering from nightmare disorder.
Nightmare disorder causes problems with your work, social interactions, and other aspects of your life.For example, your child may have nightmare disorder if he or she is always disrupting your sleep because of nightmares.
Nightmare disorder may cause you to be so tired or sleepy that your work is impaired.
You may become afraid to fall asleep due to your nightmare disorder. , If you have nightmare disorder, you may experience physical symptoms upon waking.
You may be woken up from the dream with a start or even jerking awake.
Because of your emotional response to the nightmare, you may have trouble falling asleep again.Upon waking, your heart may be pounding or you may be sweating. , You may have nightmare disorder if your symptoms cannot be attributed to other conditions or reasons.
Eliminating other possibilities for the nightmares makes the symptoms only due to the disorder.For example, you need to make sure that your nightmares are not caused by recreational drugs or alcohol.
Make sure you don’t have another mental condition, such as PTSD or delirium, or an underlying medical condition. , Everyone has nightmares.
However, nightmare disorder is more common in certain age groups than others.
Children are generally the most common group diagnosed with nightmare disorder.
However, teens and adults can have nightmare disorders, or children can have nightmare disorder throughout their entire lives.Nightmare disorder usually occurs in children between the ages of three and
18.
Most children get nightmares before around age
10.
Girls tend to have more nightmares during the teen years.
About the Author
Carolyn Jimenez
Creates helpful guides on crafts to inspire and educate readers.
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