Definition:
Night terror also known as pavor nocturnus, Night terrors are a sleep disorder in which a person quickly awakens
from sleep in a terrified state.
Diagnosis:
Children from age two to six are most prone to night terrors, and they affect about fifteen percent of all
children. Some adult night terror sufferers have a lot of the characteristics of abused and depressed individuals
including inhibition of aggression.
Treatment:
In several cases, a child who has a night terror only needs comfort and reassurance. Psychotherapy or counseling
can be appropriate in some cases. Benzodiazepine medications such as diazepam used at bedtime will often reduce
night terrors; but, medication is not usually recommended to treat this disorder.
Symptoms and Signs:
Sudden awakening from sleep, Persistent fear or terror that occurs at night, Screaming, Sweating, Confusion,
Rapid heart rate, Unable to fully wake up, Difficult to comfort.
Causes:
The normal sleep cycle involves distinct stages, from light drowsiness to deep sleep. During rapid eye movement
(REM) sleep, the eyes move quickly and vivid dreaming is very common. Each night there are many cycles of non-REM
and REM sleep.
Night terror (sleep terrors) happens during stage 3 and stage 4 sleep (deep sleep). The cause is still unknown
but night terrors are often triggered by fever, lack of sleep, or periods of emotional tension, stress, or
conflict.
