2. Basic Information
A night terror, sleep terror or pavor nocturnus is a
parasomnia disorder, causing feelings of terror or dread,
and typically occurring in the first few hours of sleep during
stage 3 or 4 non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Night
terrors tend to happen during periods of arousal from
delta sleep, also known as slow wave sleep. Night terrors
have been known since the ancient times, although it was
impossible to differentiate them from nightmares until
rapid eye movement was discovered. While nightmares
(bad dreams that cause feelings of horror or fear) are
relatively common during childhood, night terrors occur
less frequently
3. Statistics
1% - 6% of children in the United States experience sleep terror
disorder at some point of their childhood.
Less than 1% of adults have sleep terror disorder.
Individuals with family history of sleep terror or sleep walking
disorder are 10 times more likely to develop the same disorder.
Sleep terror disorder usually begins at 20’s or 30’s in adults.
Sleep terror disorder is most common in children between 3 and 12
years old.
The median age of onset of sleep terror disorder is 3.5.
Peak frequency of sleep terror disorder in children younger than 3.5
years old is at least one episode a week. In older children it occurs
with 1 to 2 episodes a month.
5. Symptoms
Recurrent episodes of abrupt awakening from sleep
usually occurring during the first third of the major sleep
episode
around 2 a.m. although they can occur even during
naps taken in the daytime
You may be unable to talk to, comfort, or fully wake up a
child
child may be sweating, breathing very fast
(hyperventilating), have a fast heart rate
7. Treatments
Try
having your child use the restroom
while having an episode
Rearrange
room
Also
the furniture in your child’s
try not to put too much emphasize
on the episode so that your child will not
be affect nearly as much
8. Causes
If the child or young adult has a lot on there
mind or are very stress
On medications that affect the brain
Fatigue or sleep deprivation can also cause
them
Also someone with head injures or there brain
functions irregularly
9. Warning Signs!
The child has fears that become persistent throughout
the day.
The episode persists after a scheduled preventive
awakening.
Episodes occur more than once a week.
Episodes last more than 45 minutes.
The child exhibits drooling, stiffening of the body and
jerking.
The episode occurs later during the sleep cycle more
than two hours after going to sleep.
