Can you cry in your sleep

The human mind is one of the most powerful things on this planet, yet it is vulnerable at the same time. Mental health disorders such as severe depression, bipolar disorder , dysthymia may also be another factor that is causing you to wake up crying in your sleep.

Every one of us goes through a traumatic event at least once in our lives. A traumatic event can be harmful to us in all aspects — physical, emotional, psychological. Moving on with our lives after a trauma is pretty difficult, and may require professional help to cope. Some try to bury their feelings, which is even worse, as it leads to a breakdown in the future. Many are not able to come out of mourning and continue to feel pain emotionally for a long time. In such situations, the person may end up with wake up crying episodes.

Some of the people with this issue wake up when they realize they are crying out loud while asleep. Point to be noted, sometimes, the person may not even know why he or she started crying while sleeping. If you suffer from this sleep issue frequently, then you must consult a physician.

On consultation, the doctor may ask about any recent event that is affecting you negatively, your sleeping routine, and your overall daily routine. The only way of treating such an issue is to eliminate the causing factor. Commonly, crying out while asleep occurs when a person has been stuck in a stressful environment for too long. In the case of young children, this problem usually goes away eventually, as the reason is mostly due to nightmares.

If you are too concerned, then a visit to the doctor is a must. It may be helpful to participate in a sleep study, such as a polysomnogram. The study monitors brain-wave activity, and it can map the areas of the brain the sleeper uses prior to an episode. To learn more about our home care services, contact our caregiving team today at or find a caregiver near you.

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For others, it can almost seem like nothing is wrong — until the grief shows itself in other ways. This can be part of a natural process, and may reoccur for some time. On the other hand, if this is continuous over a long period it could be worth speaking to a professional.

Especially at night, when your brain has time to process everything. Again, this may be fine temporarily, but a long-term issue should be addressed with a medical professional. It may also simply be a sign to recognise that you are feeling stressed, and try to move towards solutions to help heal the situation and give yourself a little self-care. The above two points are temporary ailments, but if those some symptoms are long term we may be talking about depression.

Unexplained crying is listed as a symptom of depression. If you think this might be affecting you, please share your worries with a loved one, or a doctor. A curious type of depression is classified as morning depression. For example, falling asleep with you next to them and a warm bottle, but later waking up alone and in the dark. Changes in medication — especially those that can affect our hormones or mood i. This can happen seemingly unrelated and with no cause.

While this may be temporary and will fade with time, a prolonged issue should be consulted with a doctor. Lastly, crying during sleep has been known to be a symptom of dementia. This is often forgotten by the time the person wakes, and there may be no negative effects of it.

However, it could also be due to the other reasons on this list — including discomfort during sleep. Throughout our lives, we tend to only cry due to major triggers of sadness or pain. In some cases, crying in your sleep may be cause for concern. If you can rule out all of the reasons above, there may be an underlying reason. Crying in your sleep can happen to anyone.

Often is a relative term, though. Many of us have never experienced crying in our sleep. If it happens twice within a month , it may be a good idea to get a checkup just to be safe. Emotional and mental trauma can manifest in some weird ways. One of those ways is crying in your sleep. Did your sleep crying only begin after you experienced a trauma?

It could be psychological, emotional, or even physical. This may be a sign that you need to deal with underlying emotions about the trauma you experienced. In this case, a psychologist may be a better option than a medical doctor. But it may be a good idea to get a medical checkup too.

A head injury can alter the way the brain works. A knock to the head can change your brain waves, even if just for a short time. This could cause strange occurrences, like crying in your sleep. If this happens to you after a head injury, you should see your doctor.

Even if the bump was mild. If sleep crying comes with other unusual symptoms , a medical checkup is necessary. Medication can lead to all kinds of strange side effects!