Nightmare Disorder Statistics

Nightmare disorder statistics reveal the prevalence, risk factors and treatment options available for this mental health condition.

Nightmare disorderrefers to a condition in which a person experiences recurring nightmares. These nightmares may cause feelings of anxiety, depression or fear for one’s personal safety. Facts about nightmare disorderdifferentiate this condition from othersleep disorders. Some common distinguishing features include:

• Nightmare disorder doesnotinvolve motor activity; unlike other sleep disorders, someone with nightmare disorder is unlikely to sleepwalk
• A person with nightmare disorder usually remembers at least portions of the nightmares, unlike a person who experiences night terrors
• Nightmare disorder doesnotcause disorientation or confusion

Prevalence of Nightmares

While nearly everyone is likely to experience a nightmare at some point in their life,nightmare disorder statisticsshow this condition is much rarer than the commonly experienced nightmares. Like nightmares in general, nightmare disorder becomes less common as a person ages. While the overallpercentage of the population who experience one or more nightmares per monthas an adult may be as high as30%, these nightmares are less frequent or less intense than childhood nightmares.As many as5% of young adults and 2% of older adults report nightmares on most nights. Differences in the frequency ofnightmares in women vs. menshow that women are more likely to have nightmares than men. However, there is insufficient evidence to explain this gender disparity.

Nightmare Disorder by Duration and Severity

Nightmare disorder is categorized by both duration and severity. The three categories of duration are:

• Acute:At this level, nightmares have occurred for less than one month.
• Subacute:Experiencing nightmares for more than one month but less than six months
• Persistent:Experiencing nightmares consistently for more than six months

In addition to the duration category, nightmare disorder intensity can also be categorized in one of the three levels of severity:

• Mild:While nightmares are frequent, they do not occur every week.
• Moderate:Nightmares occur at least once a week but often occur several times during a week. At this intensity, nightmares do not occur every night.
• Severe:Severe intensity nightmare disorder involves experiencingsevere nightmaresnightly or nearly every night.

Nightmare Disorder Risk Factors

In some cases, it may seem that there is no explanation of why some people areprone to nightmaresand others are not. While nightmares may sometimes be related to mental health conditions, this is not always true. Nightmare disorder does not appear to have a genetic link and does not consistently run in families.

Some factors that may increase a person’s risk of nightmare disorder include:

• Poor Sleep Habits:Factors that influence a person’s overall ability to sleep restfully may be related to the experience of nightmares. Thesenightmare disorder risk factorsinclude excessive stress, experiencing a traumatic event or frequent disruption of sleep. Othersleep disorders, such as restless leg syndrome or sleep apnea, may make nightmares more likely by causing sleep disruptions.
• Substance Use and Medications:Some medications and substances may cause nightmares. For example, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and alcohol impact REM sleep and trigger nightmares during the withdrawal period.
• Thinking Style:A person who tends to work excessively may be more likely to experience nightmares. This is due to therepetitive negative thoughtsassociated with worrying, especially if it occurs near bedtime.
• Dissociation:Someone who avoids consciously dealing with stressors throughdissociationhas an increased risk of experiencing nightmares.

Nightmare Disorder and Related Conditions

In some cases, nightmare disorder may accompany other conditions. Some of these conditions precipitating conditions are medical while others are psychiatric.Nightmares andpost-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) are frequently associated with each other because distressing nightmares are one of the main symptoms of PTSD. Other disorders including epilepsy, Parkinson’s Disease,depression,anxiety, or migraine headaches are also associated with a higher risk of developing nightmare disorder.

Nightmare disorder and substance abusemay co-occur due to the effects of substance use on sleep. For example,alcohol causes a personto experience a longer duration of dream-related sleep stages providing the opportunity for longer or more vivid nightmares.

Even prescription medications can influence whether a person experiences nightmares. Medications such as antihypertensives and antihistamines may trigger the onset of nightmare disorder.

Some medications, including SSRIs, used to treat mental health conditions like depression and anxiety may also cause nightmares. An added challenge for these patients is the potential of nightmare disorder worsening pre-existing depression or anxiety by disrupting sleep.

Night terrors are frequently thought to be related to nightmare disorder but the two disorders have some key differences. These factors distinguishingnightmare disorder vs. night terrorsare largely due to the different stages of sleep during which frightening dreams occur. The sleep stage that is associated with night terrors prevents a person from being able to distinctly recall aspects of the dream. Further, being woken during this sleep stage usually results in feelings of confusion and disorientation.

Statistics on Nightmare Disorder Treatment and Prognosis

When nightmare disorder is not caused by another condition, treatment often consists ofcognitive behavioral therapy. As a part of this treatment, a person rehearses how to respond when woken by a nightmare. In cases where nightmares are caused by other disorders such as PTSD, other treatments such as eye movement rapid desensitization therapy may be used.

When another disorder causes nightmares, a medication used to treat the underlying condition may provide relief from nightmares. For example, prazosin is a medication often used to relieve nightmares associated with PTSD.

Some forms ofnightmare disorder treatmentfocus on improving healthy sleep habits. Getting an adequate amount of sleep each night — and not oversleeping — may help to remedy nightmares.Nightmare disorder prognosiscan be improved by increasing daytime activity, especially exercise. Individuals who engage in exercise seem to experienceless frequent nightmaresthan those who are not physically active.

If you or a loved one engage in substance use and have a sleep disorder, such as nightmare disorder, help is available.The Recovery Villageprovides comprehensive treatment for substance use and co-occurring disorders.Reach out to a representativetoday to learn more.