Have you ever awakened suddenly with no recollection of a nightmare or bad dream? Maybe you have seen your child experience a night terror. Unlike a nightmare or bad dream, a night terror can involve the feelings of panic, terror, anxiety, and fear without the typical movie-like scenes and images preceding the incident. In fact, it is possible to not remember experiencing the night terror at all the next morning. If the night terror is not recollected, it is not advisable to tell a very young child about the incident. For older individuals, do not tell them that nothing occurred, if they are experiencing night terrors.
A nightmare occurs at any stage during the sleep cycle. A bad dream, also called a nightmare, typically includes pictures and actions that cause a feeling of fear. A night terror may include an image of a snake or spider, but may not contain any images at all. It has been shown that recollected images from a night terror, such as a snake or spider, instilled a great amount of fear or anxiety during the night terror, but during the waking hours, such an image would not have terrified the individual at all. The night terrors occurring with no images simply instill fear in the individual. The person will usually awaken by groaning or more often, screaming.
When my three year old son was stricken by night terrors, I first thought he was just having a bad dream. I was used to dealing with nightmares. This was different. My son was completely inconsolable. He would roll around on his bed crying and screaming. At times, he would sit straight up in bed. The episode would usually last ten or twenty minutes. This was an extremely long time for a concerned parent who had no idea what was going on. He simply seemed to be awake and reacting to something very frightening, yet he still seemed to be asleep. Nearly as suddenly as the episode began, he would be sleeping peacefully. For him, the night terrors occurred approximately 45 minutes after he first fell asleep.
The recurring night terrors with my son had me asking questions and doing some research. I contacted his pediatrician who was a wonderful resource for information on night terrors. She explained to me the difference between night terrors and nightmares. A night terror is an inability to regain full consciousness usually accompanied by gasping, moaning, and/or screaming. The condition is temporary, lasting from five to twenty minutes in length.
To understand the difference between a night terror and a nightmare, it is important to know a little about sleep patterns. Sleep occurs in stages. Sleep labs study the differences between the different stages of sleep. Many people are familiar with the term REM sleep. The term REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement. Nightmares can occur during REM sleep, but night terrors only occur during the fourth stage of sleep. A night terror occurs during the deepest phase of non-REM sleep. Coincidentally, bedwetting and sleep walking also occur during this fourth stage of sleep. All three conditions, sleep walking, bedwetting, and night terrors are conditions that typically run in families.
Sleep patterns vary greatly from person to person. Each individual may experience a night terror at different times. Typically, a night terror occurs between 15 minutes and one hour after sleep begins. In children, a night terror is most common around the ages from three to six years of age; although a night terror can occur at any age from infancy to adulthood.
A night terror can be followed by a very brief period of amnesia. For about one to two minutes following the night terror, the person may not be able to state their name or location. This sense of disorientation only adds to the fear and apprehension of the night terror. Because of the emotions experienced during a night terror, many people are reluctant to seek help.
A person sufferring from night terrors is dealing with a sleep disorder. Similar to other medical conditions, there are things you can do to help. If your child or a family member suffers from a night terror in your presence, do your best to be reassuring. At times, hugging the individual while talking softly in a comforting voice helps the situation. In other instances, attempting physical contact only makes the matter worse. Night terrors are different for each person. What works well for one individual may not work as well for another person experiencing a night terror. Often, the person is comforted by the simple fact that a calm and familiar person is nearby.
It is important to keep all objects away from the area that may be a potential hazard to the person experiencing the night terror. Keep the environment as safe as possible.
Avoid telling the sufferrer that it was just a dream. The night terror is very real to the person, so saying it was a dream may cause even more agitation. Simply reassure them that what they are experiencing is not really happening and that everything is alright.
Encouraging the individual to go back to sleep is often helpful. Although they are really still asleep, they may appear to be fully awake. It is not uncommon for their eyes to be open during a night terror episode.
Medical treatment is most often unnecessary. At times, treatment may be necessary for sleep apnea. Psychotherapy and a prescription for benzodiazepines
may be necessary. If you are wanting to consider something to help with your night terrors, talk to your doctor about St. John’s Wort. This is available without a prescription.
Some people dealing with night terrors have found that sleeping with a mask that covers their eyes seems to help alleviate the problem. Experiment with different options. More than likely, you will soon find something that works for you or your child.
Researchers in sleep labs study night terrors and other sleep disorders. Many researchers feel that a common chemical in the brain misfires causing the night terror. Many factors can attribute to the misfiring causing a night terror. Common triggers for night terrors may be high fever, increased stress, or even simply not getting enough sleep. For some sufferrers of night terrors, eating a large meal shortly before bed can increase the likelihood of a night terror episode. The specific triggers are not known. More research about sleep disorders must be done.
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Remember when assessing the sleep circumstances. Nightmares occur usually 90 minutes after falling asleep. Night terrors occur earlier. Fifteen to twenty minutes after sleep is when night terrors typically occur. A nightmare usually involves scenery, actions, and is easily remembered. Night terrors are sometimes able to be recalled, but usually are not recollected. Night terrors are very real to the individual. A heart rate of 160 to 170 beats per minute is likely during a night terror. This abnormal heart rate is much higher than the rate usually seen during a typically stressful occasion.
If you, or someone you know, experiences night terrors, talk to a doctor. Usually there is no specific medical treatment that is needed for night terrors, but it is always a great idea to ask questions and hear suggestions about the situation.
You are not alone, three percent of children and many adults experience night terrors. The key to night terrors is to learn more about them. Experiment with different techniques to make the night terror episodes more bearable and less frequent.
