Nightmares and insomnia can make depression worse

This article discusses the link between nightmares and insomnia, and how they can make depression worse.

Nightmares can cause difficulty both to sleep and to our waking lives. Intense and distressing dreams often lead to waking at night and can create anxiety about returning to sleep. Nightmares also can have an impact on our moods the next morning, bringing anxiety and difficult emotions into the waking day. New research suggests that nightmares also have an aggravating effect on symptoms of depression, and in combination with insomnia may significantly exacerbate the severity of the mood disorder.

Researchers at Japan's Tokyo Medical University investigated the influence of nightmares on depression, both independently and in conjunction with insomnia. They found the presence of nightmares associated with aggravating effects on depression. They also learned that the joint presence of insomnia with nightmares had a significant effect on the severity of depression.

The study included 2,822 adults, all of whom were residents of a rural community in Japan. The average age of participants was 57. All participants responded to questionnaires regarding their sleep habits and sleep quality, as well as the presence of nightmares and their frequency. Participants also answered questions to evaluate the presence and severity of depression. Researchers' findings indicate that while both insomnia and nightmares influence depression, when they exist together their influence is particularly strong:

• Among the 2,822 adults in the study, 25.5 percent had insomnia. 
• Of the total participants, 4.6 percent experienced nightmares one or more times per week. 
• Nightmares were present much more often in people with insomnia than without. Among participants with insomnia, 70.7 percent also had nightmares, compared to 29.3 percent of participants without insomnia. 
• Both insomnia and nightmares were linked individually to higher scores for depression, indicating more severe versions of the disorder. 
• When insomnia and nightmares were both present, depression severity was rated even higher, indicating a compounding effect of the two sleep problems.

Interestingly, researchers found that the severity of depression was no worse among people who experienced nightmares three or more times in a week, compared to people who reported having nightmares one or two times weekly. This suggests that it is the presence of nightmares at an even modest degree, as opposed to the frequency of the nightmares, which may exacerbate depression.

Nightmares remain a relatively little understood phenomenon of sleep. But we have seen recent research that explores the neurological activity that takes place during disturbed dreaming, as well as investigations of the possible neurocognitive functions behind nightmares and bad dreams.

A recent study explored the often provocative and frightening content of disturbed dreams, as a way to further understand the purpose and the impact that these dreams have on our sleep and our waking lives. There is also a body of research that links the presence of nightmares to more severe depression and anxiety as well as to increased risk of suicide among people with depression:

• Among patients with major depression, nightmares may increase the likelihood of suicide attempts, according to research. In a group of people diagnosed with major depression, those who had attempted suicide one or more times had significantly higher rates of both nightmares and insomnia.

• Another study examining the link between major depression and nightmares found that patients with major depression who reported frequent nightmares were more likely to be identified as suicidal than people who suffered major depression not accompanied by nightmares. Women with major depression and nightmares were found to be at particular risk for suicidal tendencies.

• Other research also indicates women may be especially vulnerable to the influence of nightmares on depression. Scientists in Estonia studied anxiety and depression in relation to sleep problems among a group of medical students. They found among female students an association between the presence of nightmares and both anxiety and depression. No similar link between nightmares, anxiety, and depression was found in male students.

We have a great deal more to learn about nightmares and other forms of disturbed dreaming, and how they may complicate and heighten the risk of mood disorders such as depression. We've seen some important recent breakthroughs in treatment for depression that highlight how important a role sleep play in the course of depressive illness, and in its treatment:

• Recent research indicates that a drug used to treat the sleep disorder narcolepsy may have benefits for depression when used in combination with other medication. Modafinil, a drug used to treat narcolepsy, has shown promise in easing the severity of depression when used in conjunction with anti-depressant medication. This treatment combination also raised rates of remission from depression.

• A federal study on sleep and depression -- the first of several to be released on the topic -- found that treating insomnia in people with depression may as much as double the likelihood of recovery from the mood disorder.

Achieving a deeper understanding of sleep and its impact on mental health may soon be changing the way we treat depression and other mood disorders. Just as sleep is now recognized not only as a symptom of depression but also a contributor to the illness, we may also find that nightmares exist as both a consequence of depression and a factor in its development.

Recognizing the specific risks that the presence of nightmares may pose -- on their own and in combination with other symptoms of disrupted sleep -- can help better identify people who are at higher risk for more aggravated and more dangerous forms of depression. And that could bring us one important step closer to getting people the help they need.

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Kids who are bullied can have nightmares years later

A study looked into kids who were bullied and found they have nightmares and night terrors years after being bullied.

New research suggests that kids who are bullied when they're younger may be more likely to suffer from nightmares and night terrors a few years later.

However, bullies themselves don't appear to face any higher risk of disturbed sleep.

"They sleep solidly," said study author Dieter Wolke, a professor of developmental psychology and individual differences at the University of Warwick in England. "That is clearly different than what most people think. They are not disturbed thugs, but calculated manipulators."

The study has weaknesses. Its design doesn't allow researchers to compare the percentages of children -- bullied or not-bullied -- who have bad dreams. And researchers can't be certain that being bullied at a younger age directly causes nightmares a few years later. It's possible that some other factor is responsible.

Still, "there is a clear association" between being bullied and having nightmares and night terrors, the researchers found.

What's a night terror? It's when a child gets "stuck" between stages of sleep and may scream and thrash around. "They're nearly impossible to wake and won't remember the episode the next morning," Wolke said.

For the study, the researchers examined surveys of over 6,400 children in the United Kingdom. The children answered questions about bullying at ages 8 and 10, and about sleep problems at age 12.

Overall, 24 percent of the kids had nightmares and 9 percent had night terrors. Even after the investigators adjusted the statistics in the study so they wouldn't be thrown off by high or low numbers of children who had issues such as psychiatric problems, those who'd been bullied when they were younger were still more likely to have these kinds of sleep problems at age 12.

Not all kids who have nightmares or other sleep problems are being bullied. However, among those who do, the level of extra risk of bullying is "moderate," Wolke said.

Could the nightmares be the problem that contributes to bullying by, say, causing kids to be more anxious and seen as vulnerable? Wolke said the study findings don't suggest that possibility.

Robert Faris, an associate professor of sociology at the University of California, Davis, said the study appears to be valid and fits in with previous research that has linked bullying to stress, anxiety and depression. "It does seem likely that anxiety would play a role in nightmares," he said.

What to do? "It is important for pediatricians and doctors to be aware of this relationship," study author Wolke said, and ask about bullying when kids have sleep problems. "Identifying and helping children who are being bullied would eliminate potential mental health problems in the future," he said.

But Faris pointed out that many victims of bullying -- perhaps more than half -- don't feel comfortable telling their parents about what's going on, often because they feel their parents can't do anything about it.

That may indeed be the case, he said. Still, this study suggests that parents of kids who have chronic nightmares should be aware that this behavior may be a sign that their child is being bullied, Faris said.

What if a parent doesn't think their child will open up? "Don't ask directly about whether they're being bullied, but engage in some more subtle conversations instead," Faris suggested. "And pay attention to what's going on with their interactions with friends."

The findings are to be presented Saturday at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Vancouver. Research presented at meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

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Veterans with PTSD have less nightmares after sleep apnea treatment

A study shows that veterans who have PTSD have fewer nightmares after receiving sleep apnea treatment.

For military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and sleep apnea, treatment with continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, reduces their nightmares, a new study finds.

Researchers reviewed the medical records of U.S. veterans who had been treated in a VA medical center sleep clinic between 2011 and 2012. The investigators looked at the average number of nightmares per week before treatment and up to six months after CPAP was prescribed for the veterans.

The use of CPAP led to a significant reduction in the number of nightmares, which was most connected to how well veterans complied with the treatment.

"Patients with PTSD get more motivated to use CPAP once they get restful sleep without frequent nightmares, and their compliance improves," principal investigator Dr. Sadeka Tamanna, medical director of the sleep disorders laboratory at G.V. (Sonny) VA Medical Center in Jackson, Miss., said in an American Academy of Sleep Medicine news release.

The findings were recently published online in the journal Sleep and presented at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, in Baltimore.

"One out of six veterans suffers from PTSD, which affects their personal, social and productive life," Tamanna said. "Nightmares are one of the major symptoms that affect their daily life, and prevalence of [sleep apnea] is also high among PTSD patients and can trigger their nightmares."

CPAP, which is a common treatment for sleep apnea, helps keep the airway open by providing a stream of air through a mask that is worn during sleep. PTSD symptoms such as nightmares usually start soon after a traumatic event but may not show up until months or years later, according to the National Center for PTSD of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

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Sleep disorders in children can hurt their development

This article discusses how detrimental sleep disorders can be to children and their development.

Sleep behaviors are one of the most common concerns parents of young children discuss with their pediatricians. In infancy and early childhood, the developing brain requires more time asleep than it does awake.As a result, sleep quality is extremely important in the overall well-being of a child. Children suffering from lack of quality sleep or sleep-related disorders can jeopardize their cognitive, emotional and physical development. Pediatric sleep problems don’t just affect the child - they often have a negative impact on other siblings’ quality of sleep and the entire family dynamic.

Sleep disturbances are diagnosed in 25 to 30 percent of infants and children. Causes can include an inconsistent bedtime routine, sleepwalking, sleep apnea, narcolepsy and epilepsy. Not surprisingly, pediatric sleep disorders are often overlooked because presenting symptoms of negative behavior, moodiness, irritability, lack of motivation, inability to focus, lethargy are misdiagnosed as behavioral or emotional problems, not a physical, medical condition. Severe or chronic sleep disorders can even cause adverse cardiovascular and metabolic effects as well as failure to thrive.

Common pediatric symptoms

Symptoms of sleep disorders in children can be obvious or subtle and often present with one or more of these symptoms on a regular basis:

 ongoing bedtime resistance

 nightly awakenings

 sleepwalking

 nightmares

 bedwetting

 insomnia

 chronic snoring/breathing difficulties

How to proceed if you suspect a sleep disorder

First, consult with your pediatrician to rule out any acute or chronic medical conditions. Once medically cleared, it may be helpful to clinically observe and monitor your child in a sleep center that offers pediatric diagnosis and treatment services. These centers offer comfortable bedroom like settings where sleep patterns are evaluated and diagnosed during an overnight stay.A parent accompanies the child during the stay to provide comfort and alleviate anxiety.A sleep technologist applies small painless sensors designed to monitor your child’s brainwaves, muscle activity, heart rhythms, respiratory activity and oxygen saturation levels throughout the night. The results are then analyzed by a pediatric sleep medicine physician, who will determine a diagnosis and recommend the most appropriate treatment for your child, if necessary. Once properly diagnosed, this and other sleep-related medical conditions can be successfully treated to restore and continue the child’s normal development process. If you suspect your child may have a sleep issue, see your pediatrician and discuss a sleep study evaluation.

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Children's Sleep Problems

Children's Sleep Problems

This article discusses different sleep problems children have such as nightmares, night terrors, and sleep walking.

Like adults, children don’t always sleep well. Children’s sleep problems include: talking during sleep, having nightmares and night terrors, sleepwalking, and bedwetting.

Nightmares

Nightmares are scary dreams – filled with monsters or other frightening beings – that may awaken the child. The child remembers his dream and can often describe it. Generally he is afraid of going back to sleep and needs constant reassurance from his parents.

Nightmares could be the result of too much daytime excitement or tensions built up during violent play. They can also be caused by an angry scolding. Events connected with big changes, such as when the child moves into a new home or starts school, may also be at the root of nightmares.

Occasional nightmares, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, are not a cause for alarm. They are most common between the ages of three and eight, when the child has an active fantasy life.

If you can keep the hour before bedtime pleasant and relaxed, ensuring no scary television programmes are viewed, nightmares are less likely to occur.

When a nightmare does occur, reassure the child with a few comforting words. If he wants to talk about the nightmare, allow him to do so – but don’t pressure him into talking about it.

Leave a small light on in his room – it may make it easier for him to go back to sleep.

Avoid letting him spend the rest of the night in your bed – this could turn into a habit; it is much better to stay with him in his own room for a while and then leave.

Night terrors

When a child has a night terror, he is still partially asleep and is difficult to awaken. He may stare in front of him in horror, crying and screaming and he usually perspires profusely. His breathing and heart rate accelerate significantly. He may also clutch at his parents for protection from an imaginary attacker.

These episodes can be upsetting for parents, but in most cases the child returns to sleep peacefully within five minutes He doesn’t remember anything about it the next morning.

Fortunately, night terrors tend to occur during the first three hours of sleep, when parents are often awake and can attend to the child.

Do not try to awaken the child – just make sure that he’s safe.

Because sleep terrors can be related to a lack of sleep, make sure your child is getting an adequate amount of sleep and following a regular bedtime routine.

Sleep terrors may also occur more in times of stress – so stressors should be identified and reduced, if possible.

Perhaps the family has been on a long and tiring trip, or the child next door has been mean, or the bedtime story was frightening. Any of these can cause such an upset.

Or the child may be living with constant tension because of an idea that a parent is going to leave him for ever or die from a forthcoming operation.

Your child may, even in the best of home circumstances, suffer from an occasional night terror. If night terrors have been occurring frequently, try simplifying his daily activities.

Try to trace the specific events that could have precipitated the terrors. Cut down overstimulation by monitoring TV shows and blocking out disturbing ones; reduce the number of highly competitive daily activities and the situations in which he witnesses his parents expressing unbridled anger towards each other or towards the child himself.

If these precautions are ineffective, get professional help.

Sleepwalking

Parents often feel disturbed when they see their child walking in his sleep. This generally happens in children between the ages of 10 and 14.

He may wander around the house with his eyes open, and yet be otherwise totally unconscious.

When you speak to him, he may respond briefly, often unintelligibly, and not in his recognisable daytime voice.

In most cases, he will return to bed without waking, if told to do so.

It is sometimes necessary to guide him gently back to his room and help him get back under his blanket. All this can usually be done without awakening him.

It will not harm him if you awaken him, but he may become confused and not know where he is and what he’s doing.

Don’t scold the sleepwalker nor should you give him the impression that there is something seriously wrong with him.

A few casual, comforting words and the suggestion that he go back to sleep are the most effective ways to handle the situation.

Take whatever steps are necessary to prevent him from hurting himself. Lock doors and windows securely and block staircases.

Try to find out whether there is anything in your child’s daily life at home, at school, or with his friends which could be upsetting him.

Sleepwalking tends to run in families. In most children this unusual habit disappears on its own, generally by early adolescence.

While sleepwalking is usually not a sign of serious disturbance, take the precaution of consulting your doctor, since the condition may be associated with disorders that should be treated.

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What Are Common Sleep Problems in Toddlers?

This article discusses five common sleep issues in toddlers such as breathing pauses, sweating, nightmares, teeth grinding, and twitching, jerking and restlessness. This article also gives solution to the sleep problems.

It’s a lovely idea to think you can put your toddler to bed and night and not worry about them until morning. But as many parents of toddlers already know all too well, that’s not always the case.

Things like teeth grinding, breathing pauses, sweating, twitching and jerking, and nightmares can keep toddlers from getting a restful night’s sleep, and when they don’t sleep well or enough, it can lead to problems during the day.

Here are five common toddler sleep problems, according to BabyCenter.com, as well as potential solutions for all of them:

Breathing Pauses

Some toddlers might experience breathing pauses while they’re asleep. It could be a sign of sleep apnea, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a potentially serious sleep disorder.
However, occasional breathing pauses (along with snoring and snorting) aren’t necessarily a cause for concern. Breathing patterns can change during sleep and many toddlers also sigh in their sleep, which might make them appear as if they’ve stopped breathing for a brief time, but it can, in fact, be normal.
If you suspect your toddler might have sleep apnea, a doctor should be consulted so that potential complications such as a heart problem can be diagnosed and treated.

Sweating

Despite the room temperature being perfect comfortable and their bedding and pajamas being seasonally appropriate, some toddlers will still sweat enough at night to wake up soaked through.
Nighttime perspiration is usually nothing to worry about because it’s probably a sign that the body is "restoring itself". For toddlers who sweat a lot a night, light cotton clothes are recommended for sleeping and rooms should be kept on the cool side.
Livestrong.com advises that “if a toddler is sweating excessively and it appears unrelated to body temperature control, speak to your pediatrician to rule out medical conditions like hyperhidrosis.”

Nightmares

Toddlers aren’t too young to have nightmares, which are often caused by stress and anxiety and occasionally by fevers or medication. They tend to happen later at night when they are deeply asleep.
The Cleveland Clinic advises ensuring toddlers who experience nightmares get adequate sleep, have a bedtime routine that is light, happy and fun, discuss the nightmares during the day, and are comforted, coddled and reassured so that they can sleep more peacefully.

Twitching, Jerking and Restlessness

It’s not uncommon for some toddlers to twitch or jerk or flex their ankles for a few seconds a couple of times a minute for as long as a few hours while falling asleep or while they’re already sleeping. It won’t hurt them, but it might prevent them from getting a peaceful night’s sleep.
The twitches and jerks could be a sign that their levels of iron or folic acid are insufficient, which can be discussed with their pediatrician.
It can also be a sign of restless legs syndrome, which, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, is a disorder in which there is an urge or need to move the legs to stop unpleasant sensations.
Techniques such as gentle stretching exercises, massage and warm baths can help muscles relax and lead to a more relaxed night’s sleep.

Teeth Grinding

Bruxism is the medical term for teeth grinding or the clenching of jaws, and according to KidsHealth.org, two to three out of every 10 kids will do it, although most outgrow it.
Kids grind their teeth as a result of tension, anxiety, pain from an earache or teething, allergies, or their teeth not being properly aligned.
Teeth grinding isn’t harmful, but it’s worth mentioning to the dentist to double check there are no problems.
Soothing a toddler who grinds their teeth at bedtime with a bath, backrub or extra cuddling might help alleviate the problem.

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New App Helps Rid of Nightmares

Let me know if this works.


BTW....My kids have been waiting for a reason to sleep with an ipad! LOL  JR


Scientists have come up with a phone app that subliminally influences people as they sleep and gives them their perfect dream by playing a ‘soundscape’.

Users can choose from a range of options including peaceful rural settings, busy street scenes, or even dramatic adventures set in space.

Professor Richard Wiseman, who helped develop the programme, believes it could help those who suffer from sleeping disorders or depression.

The Hertfordshire University psychologist intends to collect thousands of records from users of the app as part of a mass experiment for the Edinburgh International Science Festival to find out how easy it is to influence dreams.

The app, dubbed Dream: ON, is free and can be downloaded by iPhone users from Tuesday. An Android version is planned for later in the year.

Before going to bed, the user selects the time they want to wake up and chooses their ideal dream scenario, the Daily Mail reported.

They then put their phone face down on the mattress – preferably close to their head – and it uses a motion sensor to detect when the sleeper is dreaming.

During the night, we pass through cycles made up of three different stages of sleep. During deep and light sleep, the first two stages, we are restless in bed.

But during rapid eye movement, or REM sleep – the time in which we dream – the brain paralyses the body so that we do not act out our dreams and harm ourselves.

The app waits until the last period of REM sleep before the chosen waking time and then plays the soundscape.

Once this dreaming sleep ends, the app wakes up the user within a minute to boost the chances of them remembering the dream. They are invited to record their dream and submit a description into an online database.

Some of the soundscapes are designed to encourage ‘lucid dreaming’, where the sleeper is conscious that they are dreaming and can influence what happens.

Soundscapes including the mimicked voices of celebrities, actors and even President Barack Obama are also planned.

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