Night terrors–also known as sleep terrors–are episodes of screaming, fear, and flailing limbs while asleep. This parasomniac behavior is classified as a sleep disorder. This condition most commonly affects younger children, usually at about the age of 1 ½ years old. In fact, the Journal of the American Medical Association estimates that nearly 35% of children at this age experience one or more episodes of night terrors and that nearly 56% of all children experience some form of night terror before the age of 13.
Night terrors are far less common in older children and adults. Only about 2.2% of adults experience any form of night terror. These episodes are more common in adults who experienced recurrent night terrors in their childhood, or who have a family history of night terrors.
Night Terror Symptoms
While night terrors aren’t a cause for concern. These episodes usually only last for a few moments (though they can last up to 30-45 minutes) and do not cause any serious complications.
Common symptoms of night terrors include:
- Screaming or shouting during sleep
- Rapid heart rate
- Tensing of muscles during sleep
- Sweating or flushing
- Heavy breathing
- Sitting up while asleep or flailing while asleep
- Confusion when awakened
- Unresponsive when trying to be awakened
- Sleepwalking or aggressive behavior when being consoled or restrained
- Little to no memory of the event the next day
This is not a complete list of symptoms, though these are among the most common. While these symptoms rarely pose any sort of threat to the patient, they can be embarrassing (especially for older children).
Night Terrors and Nightmares
Night terrors and nightmares occur during different parts of the sleep cycle. Night terrors generally occur during non-REM sleep, in between sleep cycles. Nightmares frequently occur during REM sleep.
Nightmares are scary dreams that most frequently happen in the second half of the night. You can usually remember a nightmare, and these dreams do not cause the vocal or physical reactions that occur during night terrors. While children are more likely to experience nightmares, these dreams can affect anyone and are usually brought on by periods of stress or anxiety.
Night terrors occur during the first half of the night. An individual experiencing a night terror will often thrash, flail, or get up and move around. These movements may be accompanied by a vocal reaction like screaming or wailing. Unlike nightmares, an individual who has experienced a night terror rarely remembers the episode the next morning. These episodes can be brought on by stress, but are also often hereditary.
Seeking Help for Night Terrors
As stated above, night terrors are usually short-lived and will often go away as an individual grows up. There is no real cause for concern if the individual doesn’t sleepwalk or move around too much during the night.
That being said, you may seek help from a sleep specialist if:
- Night terrors become recurrent
- The episodes disrupt the sleep of the individual or family members in the household
- Episodes result in the individual moving around or sleepwalking dangerously
- Episodes result in injury or near-injury
- Sleep disruptions are causing problems functioning or fatigue during the day
It is recommended that you see a sleep specialist if you are looking for clinical help for night terrors. A primary care provider (like a family medicine doctor or pediatrician) can help treat the condition, but sleep specialists can provide advanced treatment techniques to help eliminate triggers of these episodes while promoting safety in the household.
