VIDEO: About Night Terrors

You may be one of the lucky people who have a nightmare or two once in a while. Well, be glad about it and never take it for granted! Some have it much worse!

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According to Wikipedia, night terror is a sleep disorder, causing feelings of terror or dread, and typically occurs during the first hours of stage 3-4 non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.

Night terrors tend to happen during periods of arousal from delta sleep, which occurs most often during the first half of a sleep cycle, which indicates that people with more delta sleep activity are more prone to night terrors.

There is some evidence that a predisposition to night terrors and other parasomnias may be congenital. In some studies, a ten-fold increase in the prevalence of night terrors in first-degree biological relatives has been observed – however, the exact link to inheritance is not known. Familial aggregation has been found suggesting that there is an autosomal mode of inheritance.

Some laboratory findings suggest that sleep deprivation and having a fever can increase the likelihood of a night terror episode occurring. Other contributing factors include nocturnal asthma, gastroesophageal reflux, and central nervous system medications.

Special consideration must be used when the subject suffers from narcolepsy, as there may be a link. Evidence suggests that nightmares and night terrors are more common among women than men.

Also, older children and adults provide highly detailed and descriptive images associated with their sleep terrors compared to younger children, who either cannot recall or only vaguely remember. Sleep terrors in children are also more likely to occur in males than females; in adults, the ratio between sexes is equal.

A longitudinal study examined twins, both identical and fraternal, and found that a significantly higher concordance rate of night terror was found in identical twins than in fraternal.

Though the symptoms of night terrors in adolescents and adults are similar, their causes, prognoses, and treatments are qualitatively different. There is some evidence that suggests that night terrors can occur if the sufferer does not eat a proper diet, does not get the appropriate amount or quality of sleep (e.g., because of sleep apnea), or is enduring stressful events.

Adults who have experienced sexual abuse are more likely to receive a diagnosis of sleep disorders, including night terrors. Overall, though, adult night terrors are much less common and often respond best to treatments that rectify causes of poor quality or quantity of sleep.

In most children, night terrors eventually subside and do not need to be treated. It may be helpful to reassure the child and their family that they will outgrow this disorder. Psychotherapy or counseling can be helpful in many cases. There is some evidence to suggest that night terrors can result from lack of sleep or poor sleeping habits.

In these cases, it can be helpful to improve the amount and quality of sleep which the child is getting. If this is not enough, benzodiazepines (such as diazepam) or tricyclic antidepressants may be used; however, medication is only recommended in extreme cases.