What are some other common reactions to trauma?
Sleep and Traumatic Events
Sleep problems, such as insomnia, distressing dreams or nightmares, or difficulty falling or staying asleep are common among those who have witnessed or experienced a traumatic event. Psychological or physical trauma can alter a person’s basic biological functioning.
The exact neurobiological mechanism of trauma-induced insomnia is not fully understood but has been partially explained by emerging research in the fields of stress and sleep biology. The impact of a traumatic experience likely initiates a cascade of neurobiologic events resulting in widespread central nervous system hyperarousal. Hyperarousal defined as a state of increased psychological and physiological tension has been identified in several lines of investigation (clinical, physiological and brain imaging) as the key component of primary insomnia. Insomnia induced by a traumatic event may involve amplification and exaggeration of this generalized hyperarousal mechanism.
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