NIGHT MARE & HOMOEOPATHIC TREATMENT

·         A nightmare, also called a bad dream, is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety and great sadness.

·         They often set  heart pounding from fear.

·         The dream may contain situations of discomfort, psychological or physical terror or panic. Sufferers often awaken in a state of distress and may be unable to return to sleep for a short period of time.

·         Frequent occurrence of nightmares, however, becomes a disorder when it impairs social, occupational, and other important areas of functioning. At this point, it may be referred to as Nightmare Disorder (formerly Dream Anxiety Disorder) or "repeated nightmares," which is a term defined more specifically as a series of nightmares with a recurring theme.

·         Nightmares, which tend to be more common in girls than boys, usually begin in childhood before age 10 and are considered normal unless they significantly interfere with sleep, development, or psychosocial development And between 2% and 8% of the adult population is plagued by nightmares.

CAUSES OF NIGHTMARE

Nightmares tend to occur most often during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, when most dreaming takes place. Because periods of REM sleep become progressively longer as the night progresses, nightmares most often experience in the early morning hours.

Nightmares in adults are often spontaneous. But they can also be caused by a variety of factors and underlying disorders.

Nightmares can have 

PHYSICAL CAUSE

PSYCHOLOGICAL CAUSE

Physical causes such as sleeping in an uncomfortable or awkward position, having a fever.

psychological triggers that cause nightmares in adults. For example, anxiety and depression can cause adult nightmares.

 Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also commonly causes people to experience chronic, recurrent nightmares.

LATE NIGHT DINNER

Eating before going to sleep, which triggers an increase in the body's metabolism and brain activity, is a potential stimulus for nightmares.

MEDICATION

A number of medications also are known to contribute to nightmare frequency. Drugs that act on chemicals in the brain, such as antidepressants and narcotics, are often associated with nightmares.

Non-psychological medications, including some blood pressure medications, can also cause nightmares in adults.

ALCOHOL

Withdrawal from medications and substances, including alcohol and tranquilizers, may trigger nightmares.

SLEEP DISORDER

Nightmares in adults can be caused by certain sleep disorders. These include sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome.

If no other cause can be determined, chronic nightmares may be a distinct sleep disorder.

Sleep deprivation may contribute to adult nightmares, which themselves often cause people to lose additional sleep. Though it's possible, it has not been confirmed whether this cycle could lead to nightmare disorder.

FAMILY HISTORY

People who have relatives with nightmare disorder may be more likely to have the condition themselves.

DEATH OF RELATIVE

Death of a loved one (bereavement) is another cause of night mare.

Most nightmares are a normal reaction to stress, and some clinicians believe they help people work through traumatic events.

MANAGEMENT FOR  A GOOD SLEEP  & NIGHT MARE

Set a schedule

Go to bed at a set time each night and get up at the same time each morning. Disrupting this schedule may lead to insomnia. Sleeping in on weekends makes it harder to wake up early on Monday morning as it resets sleep cycles for a later awakening.

Exercise

Aim to exercise 20 to 30 minutes a day. Daily exercise often helps people sleep, although a workout before bedtime may have an adverse effect. For maximum benefit, work out about five to six hours before going to bed.

Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol

Avoid drinks that contain caffeine, a stimulant. Sources of caffeine include coffee, chocolate, diet drugs, soft drinks, non-herbal teas, and some pain relievers.

Smokers tend to sleep very lightly and often wake up in the early morning due to nicotine withdrawal. Alcohol robs people of deep sleep and REM sleep, so drinkers also sleep only lightly.

Relax before bed

A warm bath, reading, or another soothing routine can make it easier to fall sleep.  train  to associate certain restful activities with sleep and make them part of  bedtime ritual.

Sleep until sunlight

If possible, wake up with the sun, or use very bright lights in the morning. Sunlight helps the body's internal clock reset itself daily. Sleep experts recommend exposure to an hour of morning sunlight for people having sleep issues.

Don't lie in bed awake

If  can't fall asleep, don't just lie in bed. Do something else, like reading or listening to music, until you feel tired. The anxiety of being unable to fall asleep can actually contribute to insomnia.

Control the room temperature

Maintain a comfortable temperature in the bedroom. Extreme heat or cold may disrupt sleep or prevent  from falling asleep.

HOMOEOPATHIC TREATMENT FOR NIGHT MARE

The homeopathic remedies  given below indicate the therapeutic affinity but this is not a complete and definite guide to the homeopathy treatment of this condition.

The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach.

several remedies are available to treat  that can be selected on the basis of CAUSE, sensations, modalities , & Symptoms of the complaints

Aconite-

 For children and women, with feverish heat, thirst, palpitation,anguish, restlessness.

Guaiacum-

 Nightmare when tying on back, waking with screams, feels unrefreshed when waking up, everything seems too tight ; feels exhausted, as after great exertion, especially in thighs and arras; great accumulation of wind in abdomen, with pinching from incarcerated flatulence.

Mezereum-

Awakens after midnight from vivid dreams, and with nightmare, worse on awaking; burning and uneasiness in stomach, relieved by eating.

Nitric acid-

Nightmare shortly after falling asleep ; shocks on dropping to sleep ; on awaking feels as if he had not slept enough excessive physical irritability, with weakness and trembling, especially in the morning.

Nux vom-

Nightmare after taking a heavy supper or taking alcoholic beverages ; during sleep blowing-snoring respiration; dreams full of bustle and hurry ; springs up delirious, has frightful visions, awakens in fright from the least noise.

Opium-

Severe paroxysms, with suppressed breathing, halfopened eyes, open mouth, stertorous breathing, rattling, anxious features, cold sweat, twitchings and convulsive motions of extremities ; stupid sleeplessness, with frightful visions ; before midnight.

Pulsatilla-

Stertorous inspirations ; anxious sad dreams, with weeping ; lying on one's back, with the arms stretched above the head, or with the arms laid crosswise on the abdomen, and the feet drawn up ; dreams of black beasts ; talking, whining, and screaming during sleep ; unrefreshing sleep, sleepy and drowsy by day.

Sulphur-

Light, unrefrcsbing sleep, with aching or beating pains in the head, dreams about fire, the arms stretched above the head, the eyes sometimes half open ; talks loudly while asleep ; jerks and twitches during sleep ; awakens with a start or scream.

Terebinthina-

Nightmare shortly after falling asleep ; frequent waking and tossing about at night ; great languor and loss of strength ; worms, with foul breath, choking sensation in throat ; dry hacking cough ; vertigo.

OTHER HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICINE

Alumina

Carb. veg

Ignatia

Kali

Lach

Natr. mur

opium

Sarsap

Sepia

Spig

Sil

Sulph

Anac

 Ars alb

Phos

Phos. ac

Thuja

Bell

Etc.