AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Nightmares are vivid dreams that may be threatening, upsetting, bizarre, or otherwise bothersome. They occur more often during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the stage of sleep associated with intense dreaming. Nightmares arise more frequently in the second half of the night when more time is spent in REM sleep.

Detailed explanation-2: -For some people, medicines, alcohol, drugs, lack of sleep, fever, or anxiety sometimes cause nightmares. Often, though, nightmares seem to be triggered by emotional issues at home or school, major life changes (such as a move), trauma, and stress-even if what happens in the nightmares seems unrelated to your life.

Detailed explanation-3: -Indeed, studies suggest that nightmares are often linked to unmet psychological needs and/or frustration with life experiences. Yet those links aren’t always easy to make-except in cases of trauma (discussed below), our nightmares tend to reflect our troubles through metaphor rather than literal representation.

Detailed explanation-4: -In particular, nightmares can be an indicator of mental health problems, such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Detailed explanation-5: -Frequent, vivid dreams may be related to stress, medications, sleep disorders, or early pregnancy. While we think of sleep as a time for recharging the body, the brain is actually quite active during sleep-dreaming. Our dreams can be soothing or scary, mysterious or helpful, and realistic or fantastical.