Heart pounding. Sleep interrupted. Fear lingering. Most of us know that feeling of being jolted awake by a nightmare. But do you know what’s actually happening in your brain and body when nightmares strike? What’s the difference between a bad dream and a nightmare? And when do they cross the line from unsettling to unhealthy?
With so many questions haunting our nights, we headed straight to Sleep Health Foundation expert, Dr. Moira Junge, to dig a little deeper into the scientific truth behind nightmares.
Key Takeaways
- Nightmares are vivid, frightening dreams that wake you from REM sleep — part of being human, they’re a common part of the sleep experience.
- Occasional nightmares are normal, but frequent ones can affect sleep quality and wellbeing.
- Stress, trauma, illness and certain substances can increase nightmare frequency and intensity.
- Improving sleep habits, and managing stress and overall wellbeing can help reduce nightmares.
- If nightmares are ongoing or distressing, professional support can make a real difference — you don’t have to face mares alone.
Wondering why nightmares are stalking your slumber? Read on as we dig deep into when they happen, what causes them, and practical tips you can try to help manage these creepy sleep disruptors.
Nightmares vs Bad Dreams: What’s the Difference?
From teeth falling out to finding ourselves in serious danger, nightmares creep into the nights of many. But what makes them different from a bad dream? The short story is — their intensity.
Nightmares
The impact of a nightmare is significantly more than the impact of a bad dream. Nightmares wake us up from our REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, which is why we tend to remember them so vividly.
Deeply frightening, they often involve feelings of threats to life or safety, which is why we wake abruptly, left with a sense of intense alertness and physical distress — with many people finding it hard to go back to sleep due to fear.
These scary dreams can leave us with rapid heartbeat and even sweating as we wake up wondering ‘was that real?’. Frequent nightmares may even signal underlying issues, which we’ll dig into further below.
Bad Dreams
On the other hand — while still involving feelings of stress or sadness — bad dreams are less intense. Unlike nightmares, bad dreams don’t usually wake us from sleep, and they don’t tend to cause severe distress.
We may feel a little off the morning after a bad dream, but nothing like the impact from a nightmare.
What About Sleep Terrors?
If you, or someone you know, becomes very distressed in their sleep, with no memory of it in the morning, it may not be a bad dream or a nightmare. Often caused by stress, trauma or illness, feelings of panic and terror during the deep stage of sleep are commonly known as Sleep Terrors or Night Terrors.
Sleep terrors are more common in children and are usually not remembered the next day.
When Do Nightmares Happen & Why Do You Remember Them?
So, we know pesky nightmares keep us from our slumber, but when do they actually happen? Dr. Moira Junge explains that nightmares most commonly occur during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep, when dreaming is most vivid and the processing of emotions, memories, information and events occurs.
REM sleep tends to happen later on in our sleep cycles, roughly 90 minutes after going to sleep, and reoccurs multiple times during the night. This is why nightmares often happen closer to morning — or at least most people report them in the second half of their sleep.
During this REM stage, your brain is highly active and alert. Because your brain is awake and busy doing its thing, you’re on the verge of waking, so you’re much more likely to remember your nightmare in vivid, terrifying detail when you wake up.
On the other hand, if you wake out of the deep sleep stage, you’re less likely to remember any distressing dreams.
Common Causes of Nightmares in Adults
If you remember having nightmares as a child, that’s fairly normal (yet still terrifying!). From the ages of 3–6, nightmares in children have a lot to do with natural brain development. Sometimes, a fear of separation or imaginary threats may also scare little dreamers during the night.
As children, nightmares tend to be less frequent from the age of 9, and are less often linked to trauma or mental health issues.
While 10-50% of children tend to have nightmares, the number of adults who experience them is far less (around 2.5-10%). That being said, there are more triggers for adults experiencing nightmares, including:
- Stress or trauma
- Mental health conditions, such as anxiety or PTSD
- Substance use (alcohol, medications, recreational drugs) can lead to nightmares in adults.
- Irregular sleep or sleep disorders (sleep apnoea or narcolepsy)
- Physical illness
If you’re wondering what the most common types of nightmares are, read our article on what Australians are dreaming about.
According to the Sleep Health Foundation, no matter what the cause, nightmares tend to have the same effects:
- Waking up suddenly
- Rapid heart rate
- Feelings of fear
- Sometimes sweating
- Vivid scenes where something bad happens (humiliation/threat/harm)
Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Frequent Nightmares
They’re scary and not a lot of fun, but the occasional nightmare — less than once a month — is not usually something to be concerned about. However, more frequent nightmares may be a sign of something more.
Nightmares can become clinically significant when they occur more than once a week, or they cause daytime distress or impairment (negatively impacting your quality of life).
Another sign your nightmares may be a bigger problem is if they lead to sleep avoidance or you develop insomnia. So, if you’re avoiding sleep to avoid nightmares, it could be a cause for concern.
Paying attention to frequent nightmares isn’t about worrying — it’s about protecting your sleep, wellbeing and quality of life.
Tips to Help Manage or Reduce Nightmares
While professional help is important for people feeling quite distressed or debilitated by their frequent nightmares, less frequent nightmares can be managed by prioritising a good night’s sleep and focusing on your sleep health. Key things to keep in mind are:
Reducing daily stress: Managing workloads, mindfulness, relaxation techniques, and seeking therapy if needed.
Good sleep hygiene: Keeping a regular sleep schedule, avoiding stimulants — especially alcohol and other drugs — reducing stimulation before bed, and creating the perfect sleep environment with a quality mattress and bedding.
Supporting quality REM sleep: Important for so many reasons. Take a peek here for ways you can work on improving the quality of your REM sleep.
If getting the above areas sorted doesn’t help reduce your nightmares, it might be time to seek professional help.
When to Seek Extra Help
If your nightmares are frequent, or are impacting your wellbeing — stopping you from getting enough sleep, or putting you in a bad mood during the day — then you should talk to your doctor. If you believe your nightmares are from trauma, illness (physical or mental), medicines or other substances, it’s best to seek professional help to work through these issues.
A doctor can refer you to a psychologist or sleep specialist, who can then help you more deeply with treatment to control your nightmares, and help you sleep more soundly. Healthcare professionals have many techniques and types of therapy in their toolkit, including:
Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT): Rewriting a nightmare’s ending while awake (and rehearsing this) to reduce the likelihood and frequency of the nightmares. This must be done under professional supervision.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Also known as talk therapy. Especially helpful for trauma-related nightmares. Again, must be undertaken with a qualified professional.
Medical Review: An assessment of certain medications and their side effects, as well as potential underlying sleep disorders.
The bottom line? Nightmares — while super scary — are a normal part of life and sleep for some adults. However, if they’re frequently affecting your day-to-day, it’s time to get help, so you can get back to sweet, sweet dreaming and living life well-slept.
Better sleep is possible — and you don’t have to face restless nights alone.