While night terrors stand alone as a childhood condition, in adults they are almost always a symptom of a deeper issue or more complicated diagnosis. Just as psychological disorders such as manic depression and chronic anxiety can be hereditary, night terrors have also been linked to the gene pool. Only 2. Differentiating from Nightmares Unfortunately the night terrors adults experience sometimes are misdiagnosed as nightmares, even though the two are very different occurrences.
During a nightmare, a sleeping individual can be easily roused, and quickly regains full consciousness. As noted above, this is not often the case with night terrors, and the sleeper can continue to experience the terror for up to twenty minutes.
Night terrors also take place during slow-wave sleep, meaning they can never be confused with a nightmare that occurs during the previously mentioned REM cycle. Lastly, a night terror rarely involves a dream at all. This lack of a tangible emotional trigger can cause even further distress in an individual, increasing the symptoms and intensity of the episode.
While nightmares appear randomly, night terrors tend to be more routine, varying in each individual, but usually appearing somewhere between nightly and monthly. Both of these sleep occurrences find their basis in the life events of an individual, but while nightmares simply steal real-life facts for its nighttime production, night terrors instead cause instances of irrational fear and mental arrest that is considered to be a whole other league. For adults, medication is usually prescribed to keep the symptoms at bay.
This all-natural herbal remedy has been shown to reduce the telltale symptoms of depression and anxiety, making it the perfect contender in the race to find a true cure for night terrors as well. Unlike nightmares, which kids often remember, kids won't have any memory of a night terror the next day because they were in deep sleep when it happened — and there are no mental images to recall. Night terrors are caused by over-arousal of the central nervous system CNS during sleep.
Sleep happens in several stages. We have dreams — including nightmares — during the rapid eye movement REM stage. Night terrors happen during deep non-REM sleep. A night terror is not technically a dream, but more like a sudden reaction of fear that happens during the transition from one sleep stage to another.
Night terrors usually happen about 2 or 3 hours after a child falls asleep, when sleep moves from the deepest stage of non-REM sleep to lighter REM sleep. Usually this transition is a smooth one. Both night terrors and nightmares in children are described in more detail below, along with advice about what you should do.
A child who experiences night terrors may scream, shout and thrash around in extreme panic, and may even jump out of bed. The episodes usually occur in the early part of the night, continue for several minutes up to 15 minutes , and sometimes occur more than once during the night. Night terrors are more common in children with a family history of night terrors or sleepwalking behaviour. The best thing to do if your child is having an episode of night terrors is to stay calm and wait until they calm down.
Don't intervene or interact with them, unless they're not safe. Night terrors can be frightening to witness, but they don't harm your child. You shouldn't attempt to wake your child when they're having an episode. They may not recognise you and may become more agitated if you try to comfort them. Your child won't remember the episode the next morning, but it may still help to have a general chat to find out if anything is worrying them and triggering the episodes. It'll also help if they have a relaxing bedtime routine.
Try not to discuss the episodes with your child in a way that worries them as this may increase their anxiety. If the night terror episodes are frequent and occur at a specific time every night, you may find that waking your child breaks the cycle. This can disrupt their sleep pattern enough to stop the episodes without affecting sleep quality. Instead, try meditating, relaxing in a bath, or reading a book. Avoiding caffeine late in the day and limiting alcohol use may also help reduce episodes.
Making a bedroom comfortable and quiet may help with night terrors as well. If your night terrors tend to happen around the same time, try waking yourself up about 15 minutes before they would typically happen.
Stay awake for several minutes before going back to sleep. In some cases, night terrors could be a sign of stress, trauma, anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns. If nothing seems to be working, consider seeking support from a therapist.
You can book an appointment with a mental health professional in your area using our Healthline FindCare tool. A therapist can help you identify any underlying issues and help you develop new coping tools. Biofeedback , hypnosis , and cognitive behavioral therapy can all help. If you live with or share a bed with a partner who has night terrors, there are a few things you can do to offer comfort and keep them safe. Avoid trying to wake them up during an episode.
You may not be able to wake them, but even if you can, they may become confused or upset. This could cause them to act out physically, potentially injuring both of you. What you can do is be there to offer comfort without getting physically involved.
Talk to them in a calm, quiet voice. But back off as soon as you sense any hesitation or aggression. If your partner feels embarrassed the next day when they hear about their behavior, try to offer reassurance and understanding.
Consider showing support by helping them keep track of episodes in a sleep diary or going with them to a therapist appointment.
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