beginnersleep architectureREM sleepserotonin-acetylcholine interactionSSRIpontine tegmentum
A 40-year-old man with PTSD stabilized on prazosin and sertraline reports vivid, intense dreams since starting sertraline 6 weeks ago. He previously had minimal dream recall. His PMHNP explains that SSRIs alter sleep architecture in a predictable way that can produce this phenomenon. The patient asks what is happening to his sleep stages.