First, some interesting background: nightmares, those frighteningly vivid dreams that shock us awake in the wee hours, are very common and quite normal. The group most affected by these personal horror movies are children between the ages of 8 and 10 years old -- especially those with breathing difficulties due to colds, respiratory infections, and other ailments. Children experiencing separation-anxiety from their parents and home tend to have more nightmares too. For adults, bad, scary dreams may be sparked by prescription drug use -- particularly from beta-blockers (used to lower blood pressure and regulate an erratic heart rate) and benzodiazepines (sedatives like Valium and Librium). Traumatic events, especially those that involve torture and imprisonment, are common nightmare triggers for adults as well. Nightmares are not specifically linked to psychiatric illness.

Nightmares occur during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep in the middle and latter parts of the nightly sleep cycle. They can usually be remembered in detail because they often awaken us completely. "Night terrors" on the other hand, are rattling dreams that take place during NREM (nonrapid eye movement) sleep. Here, dreamers awaken screaming and sweating, but their semi-conscious state prevents memory of their dream content and sudden arousal. Night terror usually takes place in the beginning of the sleep cycle, and is most common among 4-7 year old children. Despite their distressing symptoms, night terror "victims" are able to fall back to sleep quickly after these jarring episodes.

Even though nightmares and night terrors don't appear to cause any long-term dangers, they can affect sleep-quality and mood. In your case, don't be too quick to rule out your child-rearing responsibilities as a possible stressor. It's important to remember that stress can result from activities and emotions that we consider positive. Given that, here are a couple of questions to ponder: are you getting any time to yourself -- to do what you want without the kids and the mate; and, do you have a support network of friends or relatives with whom you can share concerns and vent possible frustrations? Since stressful events are associated with nightmares in adults, you might try to reduce possible unconscious anxiety associated with, well, life. Discussing your thoughts with others -- particularly with other parents in similar roles -- and writing about them in a journal may be ways to avoid taking tension to bed with you. Some people try to "re-write" their dreams with more pleasurable outcomes -- either before they go to sleep, or after they are woken up. Physical exercise, meditation, and yoga all have a sleep-improving component, according to many practitioners of these stress reduction strategies. Professional counseling is another option if your nightmares persist. Rest assured, however, that for most people, nightmares eventually subside.

Alice

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