Night terrors in children usually only require comforting and reassurance during the night. In adults, night terrors may be associated with neurological problems or alcohol consumption. They may also become violent in response to attempts to restrain them. Although the experience is largely the same, adults may be more likely jump up and get out of bed during a night terror. Night Terrors in AdultsĪdults are much less likely than children to experience night terrors, especially if they did not experience them in childhood. Some studies have found that childhood night terrors are most common in boys, while other research indicates that both girls and boys experience them equally. Most children grow out of night terrors around puberty. While night terrors can be confusing and upsetting for both children and their families, they are not usually considered harmful. The disorder is far rarer after puberty, with an estimated 2.2% of adults experiencing night terrors. Up to 6.5% of children may experience night terrors on a regular basis, though as many as 25% may have had at least one night terror before the age of 5. Along with the obvious manifestations of fear, the sleeper may also display a quickened heartbeat, rapid breathing, dilated pupils, or sweating. Most night terror episodes happen near the beginning of the night when the sleeper is transitioning out of deep non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Night terrors are not believed to increase the risk of having a mental health disorder, although it is not uncommon for someone with sleep terrors to also have another parasomnia. Other sleep disorders that trigger semi-awakenings.Night terrors may also be associated with: However, having a relative with night terrors makes someone more likely to experience them.įor those who are predisposed, stress, sleep deprivation, and external stimuli such as sound or touch may trigger a night terror episode. There do not appear to be any clear-cut brain abnormalities associated with night terrors, apart from possible changes in levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin.
Two similarities between night terrors and nightmares are that they are both more common in children, and when they occur in adults they may be associated with similar factors, such as stress. People who wake up from night terrors tend to be extremely confused and often cannot speak clearly or understand other people. By contrast, night terrors are characterized by physical behaviors like screaming and thrashing. Most people do not physically move during nightmares unless they have REM sleep behavior disorder. Whereas night terrors usually happen during deep NREM sleep non-rapid eye movement sleep, nightmares more often occur during the rapid eye movement stage that is more commonly associated with dreaming. Nightmares and night terrors also happen during different stages of sleep. People who have had a nightmare quickly regain alertness and sometimes remember what they dreamed about, but people who experience a night terror do not remember a narrative cause and are unlikely to remember their night terror the next day. Nightmares are bad dreams that can lead to fear or distress due to what happens during the dream, whereas night terrors are associated with little to no dream imagery. Sometimes, a night terror may become sleepwalking if the sleeper leaves the bed. The part of the brain that controls motor activity is awake, but the sleeper has no control over what they do or think. Like other disorders of arousal, night terrors are believed to occur when the brain becomes trapped halfway between sleep and wake. A night terror episode can last from a few minutes to more than an hour, after which the person generally goes back to sleep. Although they appear to be awake, they may not respond to others or be aware of their surroundings, and they are unlikely to remember the night terror in the morning.
Night terrors cause the sleeper to wake suddenly and scream, thrash, sit upright, or display other expressions of fear and agitation. In the case of night terrors, the unusual behavior involves screaming and other expressions of fear that cause you to wake up. Parasomnias involve unusual behaviors during, before, or after sleep, and other disorders in this category include sleepwalking and sleep paralysis. While a night terror might sound like a particularly bad nightmare, night terrors - also known as sleep terrors - are a type of sleep disorder called a parasomnia.
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