The current usage of the term nightmare refers to a dream which causes the sleeper a strong unpleasant emotional response. Nightmares typically feature fear or horror, and/or the sensations of pain, falling, drowning or death. They can be related to physiological causes, such as a high fever; psychological ones, such as unusual trauma or stress in the sleeper's life; or commonly for no apparent cause. Nightmares can be so stressful as to suddenly wake the sufferer in a state of distress, which may prevent falling back to sleep for some time.
Occasional nightmares are commonplace, but recurrent nightmares can interfere with sleep and may cause people to seek medical help. A recently proposed treatment consists of imagery rehearsal. This approach appears to reduce the effects of nightmares and other symptoms in acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder
Night terrors are distinct from nightmares in several key ways. First, the subject is not fully awake when roused, and even when efforts are made to awaken the sleeper, he/she may continue to experience the night terror for ten to twenty minutes. Unlike nightmares, which occur during REM sleep, night terrors occur during slow-wave sleep, the deepest levels of non-REM sleep. Even if awakened, the subject often cannot remember the episode except for a sense of panic, while nightmares usually can be easily recalled. After the night terror is complete, it can often result in a seizure, which is commonly a tonic-clonic type (although the subject may not be epileptic). The subject often has no recollection of the incident, nor the seizure.
Unlike nightmares, which are frequently a scary event dream (e.g. a monster under the bed, falling to one's death, etc.), night terrors are not dreams. Usually there is no situation or event (scary or otherwise) that is dreamt, but rather the emotion of fear itself is felt. Often, this is coupled with tension and apprehension without any distinct sounds or visual imagery, although sometimes a vague object of fear is identified by the sufferer. These emotions, generally without a focusing event or scenario, increase emotions in a cumulative effect. The lack of a dream itself leaves those awakened from a night terror in a state of disorientation much more severe than that caused by a normal nightmare. This can include a short period of amnesia during which the subject may be unable to recall his name, location, age, or any other identifying features of themselves. This state generally passes after only one or two minutes.
While each night terror is usually different, all episodes of the same person will generally have similar traits. One of the most common qualities of night terrors is a strong sense of danger. For these people there is always a being (similar to a doppelgänger), tangible or otherwise, who wishes to hurt the sleeping person, or the sleeping person's loved ones. Many sufferers of night terrors are reluctant to speak of them because of their violent and often disturbing nature.
A flashback (also called analepsis) is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened prior to the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory; flashback is also an unexpected recurrence of the effects of a hallucinogenic drug long after its original use and/or a recurring, intensely vivid mental image of a past traumatic experience.
I answered no to this question, though as a child I had long lasting periods of nightmares. Until the age of ten I had nightmares almost every night. Somehow they faded away. Only very rarely do I have nightmares nowadays, but recalling childhood nightmares still send shivers down my spine.
I go through periods of nightmares. Usually they have to be triggered by a conversation or a certain event that reminds me of my rape. Having friends who know this happens to me helps a lot. It's something I have to deal with; it's a part of my life, and I have grown to adapt to it's being part of who I am.
i'm afraid to sleep at night, so i keep the tv on all night. i usually keep nick at night or tv land on because it's all old comedy shows that don't have scary sudden sounds that will upset or disturb me if i do doze-off. i also like the flickering light the tv has because it's like a night light, only better. i don't like reading or news, that stuff bores me. when the sun comes up, that's when i start feeling sleepy and feel like it's safe to take a nap. i hate night time. hate it.
I do. Whenever I sleep in a place that is too light, I put a T-shirt over my eyes. I love a bedroom with shutters, especially when they are made of wood and attached to the outside of the house. Looks pretty too.
I remember when I was young, I saw a dracula movie that made me forever scared of the dark! This particular scene showed this girl gowing down her dark basement, and without light, she lit a match to light a candle, so she could see where she was going. As she lit the candle, a man's face (dracula) was standing no more than three inches from her face!!
To this day I will use nightlights in the halls and bathrooms of my house. I say it's for the kids, but really, it's for me!
From as early as I can remember up to the age of ten I suffered from nightmares, almost every night. Though never having watched any horror films as a child, nor having grown up in a religious family, every night I was visited by the demons of the dark. I really needed a nightlight for years to make me feel safe. Somehow it stopped and never returned. I still have bad dreams in which I find myself in a terribly unpleasant situation, but they are no longer demon ridden.
Comments
What's the difference?
The current usage of the term nightmare refers to a dream which causes the sleeper a strong unpleasant emotional response. Nightmares typically feature fear or horror, and/or the sensations of pain, falling, drowning or death. They can be related to physiological causes, such as a high fever; psychological ones, such as unusual trauma or stress in the sleeper's life; or commonly for no apparent cause. Nightmares can be so stressful as to suddenly wake the sufferer in a state of distress, which may prevent falling back to sleep for some time.
Occasional nightmares are commonplace, but recurrent nightmares can interfere with sleep and may cause people to seek medical help. A recently proposed treatment consists of imagery rehearsal. This approach appears to reduce the effects of nightmares and other symptoms in acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder
Night terrors are distinct from nightmares in several key ways. First, the subject is not fully awake when roused, and even when efforts are made to awaken the sleeper, he/she may continue to experience the night terror for ten to twenty minutes. Unlike nightmares, which occur during REM sleep, night terrors occur during slow-wave sleep, the deepest levels of non-REM sleep. Even if awakened, the subject often cannot remember the episode except for a sense of panic, while nightmares usually can be easily recalled. After the night terror is complete, it can often result in a seizure, which is commonly a tonic-clonic type (although the subject may not be epileptic). The subject often has no recollection of the incident, nor the seizure.
Unlike nightmares, which are frequently a scary event dream (e.g. a monster under the bed, falling to one's death, etc.), night terrors are not dreams. Usually there is no situation or event (scary or otherwise) that is dreamt, but rather the emotion of fear itself is felt. Often, this is coupled with tension and apprehension without any distinct sounds or visual imagery, although sometimes a vague object of fear is identified by the sufferer. These emotions, generally without a focusing event or scenario, increase emotions in a cumulative effect. The lack of a dream itself leaves those awakened from a night terror in a state of disorientation much more severe than that caused by a normal nightmare. This can include a short period of amnesia during which the subject may be unable to recall his name, location, age, or any other identifying features of themselves. This state generally passes after only one or two minutes.
While each night terror is usually different, all episodes of the same person will generally have similar traits. One of the most common qualities of night terrors is a strong sense of danger. For these people there is always a being (similar to a doppelgänger), tangible or otherwise, who wishes to hurt the sleeping person, or the sleeping person's loved ones. Many sufferers of night terrors are reluctant to speak of them because of their violent and often disturbing nature.
A flashback (also called analepsis) is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened prior to the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory; flashback is also an unexpected recurrence of the effects of a hallucinogenic drug long after its original use and/or a recurring, intensely vivid mental image of a past traumatic experience.
Nightmares
I answered no to this question, though as a child I had long lasting periods of nightmares. Until the age of ten I had nightmares almost every night. Somehow they faded away. Only very rarely do I have nightmares nowadays, but recalling childhood nightmares still send shivers down my spine.
Cycles
I go through periods of nightmares. Usually they have to be triggered by a conversation or a certain event that reminds me of my rape. Having friends who know this happens to me helps a lot. It's something I have to deal with; it's a part of my life, and I have grown to adapt to it's being part of who I am.
I don't like it, but I never had a choice, did I?
afraid to sleep
i'm afraid to sleep at night, so i keep the tv on all night. i usually keep nick at night or tv land on because it's all old comedy shows that don't have scary sudden sounds that will upset or disturb me if i do doze-off. i also like the flickering light the tv has because it's like a night light, only better. i don't like reading or news, that stuff bores me. when the sun comes up, that's when i start feeling sleepy and feel like it's safe to take a nap. i hate night time. hate it.
total darkness
Is there anyone who likes to sleep in total darkness?
shutters
I do. Whenever I sleep in a place that is too light, I put a T-shirt over my eyes. I love a bedroom with shutters, especially when they are made of wood and attached to the outside of the house. Looks pretty too.
I remember when I was young,
I remember when I was young, I saw a dracula movie that made me forever scared of the dark! This particular scene showed this girl gowing down her dark basement, and without light, she lit a match to light a candle, so she could see where she was going. As she lit the candle, a man's face (dracula) was standing no more than three inches from her face!!
To this day I will use nightlights in the halls and bathrooms of my house. I say it's for the kids, but really, it's for me!
demons of the dark
From as early as I can remember up to the age of ten I suffered from nightmares, almost every night. Though never having watched any horror films as a child, nor having grown up in a religious family, every night I was visited by the demons of the dark. I really needed a nightlight for years to make me feel safe. Somehow it stopped and never returned. I still have bad dreams in which I find myself in a terribly unpleasant situation, but they are no longer demon ridden.