Dreams & Nightmares

By: Daniela Vargas

Dreams are images, ideas, emotions and sensations that occur in our minds while we sleep. Dreams happen during the REM stage, which stands for Rapid Eye Movement. This is the stage where our brain activity is the most active and resembles the state of being awake. Dreams can occur during other stages, but they are not as vivid and we usually don’t remember those dreams. Dreams can last from a couple of seconds to 20 – 30 minutes. On average people have 5 dreams; some can have up to 7.

            Sometimes dreams turn into nightmares and those can lead to psychological distress. Nightmares can cause post-traumatic stress, anxiety disorder, dissociation and psychological changes. “Re-experiencing” is a common symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as flashbacks.

            These nightmares can get worse and lead to insomnia. Therapy can help your sleep schedule become regular; it can also help with post traumatic distress order.

If you or someone you know is in the need of help with destressing from dreams or nightmares please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey arrange an appointment with one of our licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. You can contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201)-368-3700 or (212) – 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/.

Sources: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/dreaming

https://www.sleepassociation.org/about-sleep/dreams/

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