Nightmare | Dysphoric (bad) dream | Sleep terror | REM sleep behavior disorder | Nocturnal panic disorder | |
Peak time of occurrence | Last third of the night | Last third of the night | First third of the night | Last third of the night | Anytime |
Behavior | Awakening from a disturbing dream; no associated motor behavior | No awakening; no associated motor behavior | Screaming, agitation, facial flushing, sweating, mydriasis, tachycardia, tachypnea | Vocalizations, flailing limbs, sometimes specific motor behavior related to the dream | Frightened awakening with a sense of impending doom or sense of heart attack or dying; tachycardia, tachypnea, nausea; similar to daytime panic events |
Associated dream | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Sometimes, but often related to gasping or choking |
Recall | Yes; vivid recall with details | Yes but limited compared with nightmares | No; occasional faint recollection of a vague scary event but unable to provide details | Yes | Yes |
Autonomic activation | Sometimes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Motor behavior | No | No | Sometimes | Yes | No |
Age | All ages, although frequency decreases with age | All ages | Most common in preschool-age children, decreasing in prevalence with adolescence and rare in older adults | Older adults, generally over age 50 years | Common in children and in adults with stress or anxiety disorder |