Nightmare Disorder and Isolated Sleep Paralysis
Neurotherapeutics November 23, 2020 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-020-00966-8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Sleep paralysis Insomnia Wakefulness Sleep disorder Population Sleep deprivation Sleep system call Electroencephalography Excessive daytime sleepiness Cognition |
| Citations | 65 |
| Key findings | Nightmare disorder and isolated sleep paralysis are REM parasomnias; imagery rehearsal therapy is effective for nightmare disorder, and avoiding predisposing factors is the most effective therapy for sleep paralysis. |
Abstract
Nightmare disorder and recurrent isolated sleep paralysis are rapid eye movement (REM) parasomnias that cause significant distress to those who suffer from them. Nightmare disorder can cause insomnia due to fear of falling asleep through dread of nightmare occurrence. Hyperarousal and impaired fear extinction are involved in nightmare generation, as well as brain areas involved in emotion regulation. Nightmare disorder is particularly frequent in psychiatric disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder. Nonmedication treatment, in particular imagery rehearsal therapy, is especially effective. Isolated sleep paralysis is experienced at least once by up to 40% of the general population, whereas recurrence is less frequent. Isolated sleep paralysis can be accompanied by very intense and vivid hallucinations. Sleep paralysis represents a dissociated state, with persistence of REM atonia into wakefulness. Variations in circadian rhythm genes might be involved in their pathogenesis. Predisposing factors include sleep deprivation, irregular sleep-wake schedules, and jetlag. The most effective therapy consists of avoiding those factors.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The cognitive neuroscience of lucid dreaming | 2019 | Review | |
| Sleep and dreaming are for important matters | 2013 | Review | |
| My Dream, My Rules: Can Lucid Dreaming Treat Nightmares? | 2019 | Review | |
| Dream Recall: State or Trait Variable? Part I: Model, Theories, Methodology and Trait Factors | 1996 | Review | |
| Microdream neurophenomenology. | 2017 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 27
- Associations between self‐reported parasomnias and psychiatric illness in 370,000 patients with sleep disorders Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences August 30, 2024
- The Persistent Paradox of Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (REMS): Brain Waves and Dreaming. Brain Sciences June 21, 2024
- REM Sleep Behavior Disorder and Other REM Parasomnias CONTINUUM Lifelong Learning in Neurology August 1, 2023
- Understanding and Treating Nightmares: A Comprehensive Review of Psychosocial Strategies for Adults and Children. Cureus September 1, 2024
- Morphological characteristics of cerebellum, pons and thalamus in Reccurent isolated sleep paralysis - A pilot study. Frontiers in Neuroanatomy 2024
and 22 more in the library
Cites 26
- Insomnia Symptoms, Nightmares, and Suicidal Ideation in a College Student Sample Sleep 2011
- Aetiology and treatment of nightmare disorder: State of the art and future perspectives Journal of Sleep Research January 29, 2019
- Prevalence of Nightmare Disorder in Psychiatric Outpatients Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 2013
- Terror and bliss? Commonalities and distinctions between sleep paralysis, lucid dreaming, and their associations with waking life experiences Journal of Sleep Research July 27, 2016
- Studies with lucid dreaming as add-on therapy to Gestalt therapy Acta Neurologica Scandinavica January 30, 2015
and 21 more in the library