How to Recognize Night Terrors in Kids and What to Do
Night terrors in kids (also known as sleep terrors) are a parasomnia sleep disorder characterized by episodes of screaming and panic while the child is still asleep. (“Parasomnia” is a catchall term used to describe unusual behaviors people experience before falling asleep, while asleep, or during the period when the brain transitions in and out of sleep, such as sleepwalking, sleep talking, or night terrors, according to the Sleep Foundation). Typically, it happens two to three hours after the child first falls asleep, during the deep sleep, NREM (non-rapid eye movement) stage of the sleep cycle, and can last up to thirty minutes or more. The child’s eyes may be wide open, and he or she may look awake, but his or her brain is not. Night terrors in kids are most common between the ages of three and six, although they have been known to occur in children as young as eighteen months and as old as twelve years of age. Episodes can be dramatic and alarming to witness, but they are not usually harmful, and kids almost always grow out of them by early adolescence. What is the difference between a nightmare and a night terror? Nightmares are most common toward the end of the night during the light sleep, rapid eye movement (REM) dream stage of the sleep cycle. The child wakes up frightened but does not exhibit the physical or vocal behaviors characteristic of night terrors. He or she seeks comfort, can remember the scary dream, and may be afraid to go back to sleep. Night terrors, on the other hand, usually occur two to three hours after your child falls asleep, at the end of the deep sleep non-REM stage when the brain starts transitioning between cycles. The child is unable to transition smoothly [...]
