A period of disturbed sleep, which a child does not remember afterwards.
Episode, most often occurring in young children, in which the person awakens in terror with a panicky scream, feelings of fear and anxiety, and total inability to recall any dream or incident provoking the feelings, and typically does not recall the event the next morning.
An uncommon sleep disturbance experienced by children between ages 2 and 5. After an hour or two of sleep, a partially asleep child may sit up, scream, thrash about, kick, cry, or moan in fear and confusion. The physical signs of terror may include sweating, shaking, a racing heart, bulging eyes, and heavy breathing. A child experiencing night terror may fail to recognize his or her parents and try to push them away. Night terrors may last from a few moments to 45 minutes. Parents are advised to remain calm, gently holding and comforting but not waking a child during a night terror. Afterward, the child will promptly return to sleep and have no later memory of the incident. A child who has frequent night terrors should be taken to see the family physician. Although frightening to parents, night terrors are not usually associated with severe problems and usually resolve as the child grows older. No treatment is typically needed.
The condition in which a child (usually aged 2-4 years), soon after falling asleep, starts screaming and appears terrified. The child cannot be comforted because he remains mentally inaccessible; the attack ceases when he wakes up fully and is never remembered. Attacks sometimes follow a stressful experience.
A form of nightmare typically experienced by children in which a frightening hallucination is accompanied by an inability to awaken from sleep. The fear continues for a period after the return to consciousness.
A condition primarily observed in children, characterized by sudden awakenings from sleep accompanied by intense fear. Night terrors, also known as sleep terrors, typically emerge between the ages of four and seven, and they tend to diminish as early adolescence approaches.
Instances of night terrors take place during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, typically occurring within thirty minutes to three and a half hours after initially falling asleep. Individuals experiencing these episodes awaken in a semi-conscious state, often screaming, and remain in a state of fear for several minutes. During this time, they are unable to recognize familiar faces or surroundings and are usually resistant to comfort. Physical indicators of distress, like sweating or an elevated heart rate, are frequently observed. Following the episode, the individual gradually returns to sleep and typically has no recollection of the event the following day.
While night terrors in children can be unsettling for parents, they generally do not carry any serious implications. Conversely, in adults, these episodes are more likely to be linked with an anxiety disorder.