Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is characterized by a number of concerning and intrusive symptoms, nightmares are often one of them. Sleep is remarkably important, and when this is disrupted, it can be hard to function at your best. Most providers will inquire about sleep, though not all will address and treat nightmares. Seeking the right kind of help is important, therapy can help.

Different types of symptoms can cause different types of sleep difficulties. For those with depression, it is typical to experience early morning awakening and have difficulties returning to sleep. Those with anxiety disorders often report tossing and turning for hours as their minds race with anxious thoughts and worries. For those with mood disorders, their sleep is often disturbed by feeling an abundance of energy during periods of mania and chronic oversleeping during times of depression. Individuals with PTSD may report many of these disturbances as well as nightmares which can further complicate getting enough rest.

Waking Up to the Reality of PTSD

PTSD is a complex disorder that may develop after exposure to a traumatic situation or event. It is accompanied by many other symptoms and behaviors, such as avoidance behavior, increased startle response and negative mood and cognition. One of the most common factors of PTSD is re-experiencing the event which can occur in the form of flashbacks, intrusive memories and/or nightmares.

Re-experiencing often occurs when something associated with the trauma triggers the mind to involuntarily recall the event or situation. The intrusive images may be in the form of remarkably vivid and overwhelmingly emotional memories and nightmares that may be so real that it feels as if the event is actually happening again.

PTSD nightmares are generally characterized as threatening or frightening dreams that wake someone from sleep with intense negative emotions, such as anger, fear, or sadness. The frequency of nightmares can occur several times a week causing a great deal of distress and even possible avoidance of sleep all together.

Current statistics show that an estimated 8.7 percent of the US adult population meets the criteria for PTSD. Symptoms can develop from a variety of experiences in which safety is threatened. These events can include but are not limited to assault, combat experience, terrorist attacks, life-threatening accidents, violent crimes, natural disasters, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and any other traumatic occasion involving threat of physical harm or injury.

The Nightmares that Pierce the Nights

Compared to dreams and other types of nightmares, PTSD nightmares can be more intense, containing replays or even more intense versions of your trauma. Some studies have shown that as many as 50 percent of those studied with PTSD reported nightmares that exactly replicated their distressing experience, while 20 to 25 percent have nightmares that symbolically or indirectly recount the traumatic event.

PTSD nightmares can occur during various sleep stages. They are common complaints among 80 percent of those with PTSD who relive or re-experience the upsetting event for months or years after the actual event occurred. During a nightmare, the body conditions itself to enter the fight or flight mode wherein the levels of adrenaline are increased into the bloodstream, the pulse palpitates, and the circulatory system constricts.

The impact of your nightmares can be profound, leaving you crying, thrashing in bed, sweating profusely or even waking up in blind panic. This can leave you feeling remarkably anxious upon waking making falling asleep again even more difficult. The tangible differences in sleep for those experiencing PTSD nightmares can include:

• Increased frequency of REM sleep activity
• Decreased total hours of sleep time
• Increased frequency and duration of wake periods at night
• Decreased slow wave sleep
• Increased periodic limb movement during both REM and NREM sleep

In short, PTSD nightmares can deprive you of quality sleep and increase incidence of other sleep-related breathing disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. These symptoms can result in it being extremely difficult to fall or stay asleep, the main characteristics of insomnia.

Putting a Stop to PTSD Nightmares

Going through a traumatic event can bring up a number of symptoms that can drastically affect your daily life. This may include sleep troubles, edginess, or relationship problems. Without treatment, symptoms will likely worsen.

PTSD nightmares can be so frightening that some people turn to alcohol or substance abuse as a means of escape. Nightmares can easily make sleep something to be feared. Ultimately, nightmares can lead to other problems, such as depression, anxiety, impairment in day-to-day functions, and decrease in quality of life.

It can be difficult to experience nightmares, but you cannot allow them to take over your sleep. With help from a therapist independently contracted with Carolina Counseling Services – Fuquay-Varina, NC, you can begin to take back your sleep. Call now to request an appointment.