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Disorders mimicking or confused with nightmares

Disorders mimicking or confused with nightmares
  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
REM: rapid eye movement.
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