Painaja

Painaja is a Finnish noun that generally refers to a nightmare in colloquial speech; the standard term for a nightmare is painajainen. In everyday use, painaja describes a distressing dream that provokes fear, anxiety, or a sense of threat, usually occurring during sleep in the later part of the night when REM sleep is common.

In clinical literature, nightmares are defined as vivid, disturbing dreams that cause strong negative emotions and are often followed by waking up in alarm. They may disrupt sleep and contribute to daytime fatigue, anxiety, or mood problems. While most people experience occasional nightmares, frequent or severe nightmares can be a sign of underlying conditions or trauma.

Causes and risk factors include stress, anxiety disorders, trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, sleep deprivation, fever, certain medications, and substance use. Children commonly report nightmares, but they can occur at any age. Sleep disorders and irregular sleep schedules increase risk, as do high arousal states or nightmares linked to trauma.

Management focuses on reducing distress and improving sleep quality. General approaches include good sleep hygiene, stress reduction, and avoiding triggers before bedtime. Therapeutic options include imagery rehearsal therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy for nightmares, and, in PTSD-related cases, pharmacological treatment such as prazosin under medical supervision. Many nightmares lessen with time or with treatment of an underlying condition.

See also: dreams, sleep, parasomnias.