Are nightmares a sleep disorder?

Are nightmares a sleep disorder?

Irshaad Ebrahim (Medical Director of The London Sleep Centre) gives expert video advice on: What is a sleep disorder?; How many types of sleep disorder are there?; What is the most common sleep disorder? and more...

Nightmares are quite common in children, and if they persist and cause distress during the day and at night, then yes, they are classified as sleep disorders. Nightmares usually occur in a type of sleep we call rapid eye movement sleep, or, in inverted commas, 'dreaming sleep.'