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night terrors
night terrors pl n a condition in which a person, usually a child, suddenly starts from sleep in a state of extreme fear but cannot later remember the incident
Night Terrors
Night Terrors (dreams)Night terrors are episodes in which people typically awaken with a scream and sit bolt upright in bed as if they had just had a nightmare. Unlike in a nightmare, however, the person frequently cannot remember anything except being afraid. Researchers have found that night terrors occur during non-REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is sleep characterized by little or no dreaming activity. They most often occur in children, but may also affect adults. Although the precise cause is unknown, the incidence of night terrors can be seen in a number of adults who appear to be especially prone to them. This phenomenon has been extensively studied since the 1800s. Even though night terrors more often occur in young children, adults are not immune. There are factors common to adults who suffer from night terrors. It is suggested that stress, lack of sleep, and/or the prolific use of drugs or alcohol are factors. However, nothing has been proven conclusively. In studies of both children and adults, mild to violent nervous bodily reactions occur before the dreamer awakens from a night terror. Heart and respiratory rates double in seconds, and incidents of muscle twitching, violent physical movements, hitting, yelling, walking out of the bedroom and even the house in an attempt to fight off and escape from attackers have all been documented. Prior studies of night terrors produced some interesting findings. For instance, in 1899, the British Medical Journal published a study of thirty people who suffered from night terrors. Seventeen of the thirty people suffered from the onset of early heart disease. In the 1960s, a group of twenty-three children, all of whom suffered from night terrors, had their adenoids removed. Twenty-two of these children reported an immediate cessation to the terrors. Studies on adults who suffered from night terrors, known to psychologists back in the 1960s as a “disorder of arousal,” did not find any correlated personality traits. Persons intimately involved in the personal lives of some of those afflicted with night terrors, however, described them as being “tightly wound” individuals. Current psychology might classify such individuals as having Type A personalities. night terrors
Night Terrors DefinitionNight terrors are a sleep disorder characterized by anxiety episodes with extreme panic, often accompanied by screaming, flailing, fast breathing, and sweating and that usually occur within a few hours after going to sleep.DescriptionNight terrors occur most commonly in children between the ages of four and 12 but can also occur at all ages. Affected individuals usually suffer these episodes within a few hours after going to sleep. They appear to bolt up suddenly, and wake up screaming, sweating and panicked. The episode may last anywhere from five to 20 minutes. During this time, the individual is actually asleep, although the eyes may open. Quite often, nothing can be done to comfort the affected person. Very often, the person has no memory of the episode upon waking the next day.Night terrors are differentiated from nightmares in that they have been shown to occur during Stage 4 of sleep, or in REM sleep, while nightmares can occur anytime throughout the sleep cycle.Causes and symptomsSuffering from night terrors seems to run in families. Extreme tension or stress can increase the incidence of the episodes. In adults, the use of alcohol also contributes to an increased incidence of night terrors. Episodes sometimes occur after an accident involving head injury. Other factors thought to contribute to episodic night terrors, but not actually cause them, include:- medications
- excessive tiredness at bedtime
- eating a heavy meal prior to bedtime
- drug abuse
DiagnosisNight terrors are primarily diagnosed by observing the person suffering from an episode. The following symptoms are characteristic of a person suffering from a night terror:- panic
- sweating
- gasping, moaning, crying or screaming during sleep
- little or no recollection of the episode upon awakening
TreatmentIn most cases, the individual will still be asleep as the night terror episode happens and will prove difficult to awaken. The goal should be to help the affected person go back into a calm state of sleep. The lights should be turned on, and soothing comments should be directed at the person, avoiding brusque gestures such as shaking the person or shouting to startle them out of the episode. Any form of stress should be avoided.Individuals affected by night terrors should be evaluated by a physician if they are really severe and occur frequently. A physician can recommend the best treatment for the particular circumstances of the night terrors. In some severe cases, the physician may prescribe a benzodiazepine tranquilizer, such as Diazepam, known to suppress Stage 4 of sleep. The physician may also refer the affected person for further evaluation by a sleep disorder specialist. It should be noted that episodic night terrors in children are normal and do not suggest the presence of psychological problems. In adults, night terrors are more likely to be related to a significant stress-related or emotional problem.PrognosisIn children, night terror episodes in children usually end by the age of 12.PreventionIf a child seems to have a regular pattern of night terror episodes, he should be gently awakened about 15 minutes before the episode usually happens. The child should be kept awake and out of the bed for a short period of time and then allowed to return to bed.Since sleep deprivation is a strong trigger for night terror episodes, children should not be allowed to become overtired. Having children take a nap during the day may be useful.Adults affected by night terror episodes should avoid stress, the consumption of alcohol and stimulants before going to sleep.ResourcesPeriodicalsAmerican Academy of Family Physicians. "Nightmares and Night Terrors in Children." October 2000.Laberge, Luc, et al. "Development of Parasomnias from Childhood to Early Adolescence." Pediatrics July 2000: 67-74.OrganizationsAmerican Sleep Disorders Association, 6301 Bandel Road Suite 101, Rochester, MN 55901. (507) 287-6008. http://www.asda.org.National Foundation for Sleep and Related Disorders in Children. 4200 W. Peterson Suite 109, Chicago, IL 60646. (708) 971-1086.Key termsBenzodiazepines — A class of drugs that suppresses Stage 4 of sleep.REM sleep — Rapid Eye Movement phase of sleep, a mentally active period during which dreaming occurs.Sleep disorder — Any disorder that keep a person from falling asleep or staying asleep.night ter·rors (nīt' ter'ŏrz), A childhood disorder in which a child awakes screaming with fright, the distress persisting for a time during a state of semiconsciousness. Synonym(s): pavor nocturnus, sleep terrornight ter·rors (nīt ter'ŏrz) A disorder allied to nightmare, occurring in children, in which the child awakes screaming with fright, the distress persisting for a time during a state of semiconsciousness.
Synonym(s): pavor nocturnus. night terrors Sudden attacks of severe panic occurring during deep non-REM sleep and associated with very high heart rates, rapid respiration and often screaming. There is a sense of suffocation, imprisonment in a small space or a conviction of impending death. Night terrors occur most often around the age of 5.LegalSeeTerrorThesaurusSeenight terror |