Night Terrors

NIGHT TERRORS (SLEEP TERRORS): AWAKENING WITH A FRIGHT

OVERVIEW: Children often wake up in the night terrified and screaming. Night terrors, or sleep terrors as they are also called, are also sometimes experienced by adults, but not as frequently. The most common age for children to have night terrors is under the age of four and a half, when some children have them as often as once or twice a week. After that age, the frequency drops to a maximum of once a month or less. Usually, the problem corrects itself by the time a child enters adolescence. Night terrors differ from nightmares in that night terrors usually happen as the sleeper moves from the third to the fourth stage of deep sleep, within the first 90 minutes of the night. Nightmares happen during REM sleep, and often occur in the early morning.

CAUSES: Night terrors can be caused by stressful events going on in the life of the child. They can also be side effects of medications that affect the central nervous system. Other things that can increase the likelihood of a night terror include illness with fever and sleep deprivation. It is sometimes a symptom of childhood sleep apnea. In adults, night terrors are often the result of psychological disturbances.

SYMPTOMS: A child with a night terror will wake up, usually in the first hour and a half of the night. They will be screaming and inconsolable, and probably will not recognize their parents, even if they have been calling out for them. It can take as much as five to thirty minutes to get the child to calm back down and go back to sleep. In the morning, it is common for the child to not remember the incident at all. A rapid heartbeat, increased rate of breathing, and sweating are other common symptoms of a night terror.

DIAGNOSIS: Usually no other testing is needed to diagnose night terrors if the symptoms exist. A doctor might want to do a psychological examination of a child as well as ask questions about lifestyle issues to pinpoint if anything stressful could be causing the problem. There are some warning signals that should be brought to the attention of a physician. For instance, if the child is stiffening, jerking, or drooling, or if the terror lasts longer than thirty minutes, let the doctor know. Also tell your physician if the child is fearful in the daytime as well.

TREATMENT OPTIONS: For adults, medications are sometimes prescribed, but psychotherapy can also be helpful. For children, it helps to know how to handle an episode and to reduce the stress in the child's life. For instance, could potty training be contributing to the child's stress? To handle an episode, it is sometimes helpful to turn on the light during the night terror. It is not recommended that you hold your child because the terror often feels like being held by something. Holding or hugging your child can actually make it worse. Do try to protect your child from dangers such as windows, stairs, and objects she or he could trip over.