But remarkably, and totally unlike a nightmare, it's very easy for a person to fall back asleep after an episode.
Triggering Terrors
Night terrors are a bit of a mystery to neuroscientists and sleep experts, but there are three associated causes or factors: age, environment, and triggers.
The vast majority of sufferers are boys between the age of five and seven, though it also occurs in girls. Partial awakening, which happens to practically all kids, is developmental for children at this stage in life;
up to 17% of preschool-aged children experience disorders of arousal. Typically, sleep terrors decrease in frequency and intensity as children get older. They typically outgrow them by the time they reach school age. The number of episodes usually decreases after age 10.
But after the age of seven, other factors come into play. A slammed door, for example, can trigger an episode in someone prone to the condition. Sleep terrors can also be brought on by emotional tension, stress, fatigue, or conflict, such as a recent divorce or move.
Night terrors may also run in families and have a genetic component. A
2008 study of both identical and fraternal twins showed that the prevalence of sleep terrors was 37% at 18 months and 20% at 30 months. Nearly half of affected children were boys, and 51% were girls. At 18 months, the correlations were significantly stronger for identical twins than fraternal twins.
Night terrors can occur in adults, especially when there is emotional tension or the use of alcohol. But strangely, night terror in adults has been
linked to a history of psychopathology and other mental disorders. There may also be links to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and generalized anxiety disorder. It's also closely related to sleepwalking (a related parasomnia) — and even frontal lobe epilepsy.
Living With Night Terrors
In most cases, and aside from the night-time inconvenience imposed on parents or spouses, night terrors are not a serious problem. In most cases, it's a condition that mostly goes away.
According to child sleep expert C. Carolyn Thiedke, there's really no good way to treat night terrors aside from reassurance, scheduled awakenings, and diazepam (Valium) in extreme cases (but it should be noted this is rarely done). In the case of scheduled awakenings, it's advised that children be woken-up just prior to the onset of stage three and four NREM (somewhere between the 60 to 90 minute mark into sleep).
Psychologists recommend that the night terror be allowed to run its course and that nearby people not intervene for fear of being injured. It's a good idea to keep a distance, otherwise it can make the situation worse.
In chronic cases, however, psychotherapy and medication can help. Reducing stress or using coping mechanisms may lessen the frequency of night terrors. Talk therapy or counseling can also help in some cases. And in addition to diazepam, it has been shown that
l-5-hydroxytryptophan (l-5-HTP) can help children with night terrors.
Other sources:
Medline Plus | Medscape | PubMed Health
Top image: Paranormal Activity
onlinecollegedegreee.blogspot.com Night Terrors: The Real Reasons Why You Wake Up Screaming