Not only babies but adults to the elderly can also suddenly cry while sleeping. The triggers are many, but most likely due to mood disorders such as depression and excessive anxiety.
Table of Content
1. Causes of crying while sleeping
2. Crying while sleeping in the elderly
In addition to psychological problems, there are also physical conditions that can disrupt a person’s sleep. If this happens, you need a definite diagnosis from a doctor so that the treatment is appropriate.
Causes of crying while sleeping
Here are some things that can potentially cause a person to cry while sleeping:
1. Nightmare
No one can predict the presence of dreams while sleeping. When nightmares occur, they can interfere with a good night’s sleep. Any age can experience this.
There are times when dreams have nothing to do with anything. However, it is possible that nightmares are related to stress in life. This is a way of responding to confusing situations and anticipating potential challenges.
2. Night terrors
When awakened from a dream, usually a person can still remember it. But not so with night terrors. When you wake up, it feels like it’s gone without a trace. In fact, it can also trigger a person to sleepwalk.
These night terrors can last from a few seconds to a few minutes. Sometimes, it can also last longer. About 40% of children can experience it, but this trend decreases in adults.
3. Sad
Feeling extreme sadness can also trigger a person to cry during sleep. The person experiencing it may feel overwhelmed by the stages of grief.
In addition, someone who is sad but still has to take care of other things around work, family, or other responsibilities, this sad emotion may just be released during sleep.
4. Traumatic experience
When experiencing a traumatic experience or great sadness, sometimes a person has not really managed to process his feelings. As a result, it is very possible for things to happen such as crying during sleep or other sleep problems.
Other characteristics of someone who is still trapped in sadness are difficulty making decisions, depression, excessive anxiety, to seem lack of energy.
5. Depression
Experiencing depression can last for a long time, unlike sadness which can subside over time. One of the early symptoms of depression is a change in diet and sleep cycles. Do not rule out, depressed people can cry while sleeping.
Another sign that someone is depressed is withdrawing from the people around them, and no longer enjoying activities that used to be favorites.
6. Diurnal mood variations
Also known as diurnal mood variation, it is characterized by feeling very lethargic and sad when morning comes. But as the days go by, these symptoms improve. Another term for this condition is morning depression.
This type of depression is associated with problems with circadian rhythms. This is the body’s biological clock that regulates sleep patterns as well as hormones that affect mood and energy.
7. Stress
Stress conditions and excessive anxiety can also have an impact on sleep quality. Do not be surprised if the symptoms that appear include crying during sleep to mood changes. When you feel anxious and don’t know how to manage your feelings, you can cry more often than usual.
8. Sleep phase transition
Sometimes, when a person is in the transition stage of sleep, this can also make a person cry during sleep. Especially in infants and children. When something feels abnormal when they wake up at night, this can trigger them to cry.
Crying while sleeping in the elderly
In older people, crying during sleep can also be associated with dementia. In addition, this could also be a consequence of feeling overwhelmed by the emotions that are being felt. So emotional, then you might suddenly cry when you sleep.
In addition, physical problems such as arthritis and other aging-related diseases can also trigger excruciating pain that makes sufferers cry.
Treatment for this poor quality sleep condition depends on the trigger. It can be psychological, it can be physical.