REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and sleep terrors are two types of sleep disorders that cause some people to shout during sleep. Sleep terrors, also called night terrors, usually involve frightening screams, thrashing, and kicking. It's hard to wake someone having a sleep terror.
Sleep terrors are episodes of screaming, intense fear and flailing while still asleep. Also known as night terrors, sleep terrors often are paired with sleepwalking. Like sleepwalking, sleep terrors are considered a parasomnia — an undesired occurrence during sleep.
The cause is unknown but night terrors are often triggered by fever, lack of sleep or periods of emotional tension, stress or conflict. Night terrors are like nightmares, except that nightmares usually occur during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and are most common in the early morning.
Night terrors in adults are often linked to stress or trauma. Sometimes a condition that affects sleep can be a trigger for night terrors. For example: obstructive sleep apnoea.
Usually waking up screaming is associated with having a night terror. But if you are waking up screaming for some other reason—or you or a loved one are waking up screaming, but you don't know why—you should speak to your healthcare provider.
Other common parasomnias such as nightmares and night terrors have often been associated with psychopathology.
Scary nights
Researchers have long known that people who suffer from schizophrenia tend to report night terrors and frequent, terrifying nightmares.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects many people, especially military veterans. Symptoms can be severe and interfere with normal life. One of those disruptive symptoms is night terrors. They cause a person to thrash and scream in terror in the middle of the night.
Night terrors usually happen in kids between 4 and 12 years old, but have been reported in babies as young as 18 months. They seem to be a little more common among boys.
Night terrors can occur in adults however it is rare. This may be indicative of underlying neurologic disorders that require more work up and investigation.
While night terrors are frightening for adults to witness and they may seem like your child is having a severe emotional or mental disturbance, night terrors are not usually associated with serious emotional or psychological problems. If your child's behaviour is worrying during the day, see your GP for advice.
Stress can begin the cycle of sleep terrors or it can exacerbate it by causing fatigue or sleep deprivation. Sometimes, but not always, abuse, molestation, or other trauma can cause sleep terrors.
Night terrors are most common in children between the ages of 3 and 8, while nightmares can affect both children and adults. Differences between night terrors and nightmares.
Night terrors occur in deep sleep or NREM stage three. During night terrors, the front part of your brain that controls executive functioning and memory is asleep while the back part that controls motor movement is awake. This is similar to sleepwalking.
Since adult night terrors are so closely associated with life trauma and psychological disorders, many of those who endure this bedtime battle will often also exhibit signs of aggression, anxiety, memory loss, and inward pain that are often expressed in the form of self-mutilation.
If you have chronic nightmares, they could be due to stress, anxiety, a traumatic event or lack of sleep. Night terrors have a strong genetic link, so you are more likely to experience them if someone else in your family has them. Adults who develop night terrors usually have underlying mental health problems.
Avoid waking your child during a night terror. A child having a night terror will only be confused and disorientated if you wake them. If you leave your child asleep, the night terror will be over more quickly and your child won't remember it happened. Wait for your child to stop thrashing around.
It's best to stay close by and ensure that they do not fall or hurt themself. However, do not try to wake a child during a night terror. Attempts at arousal may make the episode last longer or provoke a physical response that could lead to injury.
Traumatic brain injury occasionally precipitates parasomnias, including sleepwalking, sleep terrors, and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder.
These nightmares might be triggered by stress, anxiety or trauma, but they might also be a sign of future psychosis, the findings suggest.
Night terrors aren't dangerous, but they can disrupt your child's sleep. About half of children have sleep problems that are serious enough for medical help. It might help ease your anxiety to talk to your child's doctor. Let them know if your child's night terrors keep them up often or for more than half an hour.
Night terrors in adults can be treated with medications such as an antidepressant called Tofranil or benzodiazepine drugs such as Klonopin or Valium.
There can be a number of psychological triggers that cause nightmares in adults. For example, anxiety and depression can cause adult nightmares. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also commonly causes people to experience chronic, recurrent nightmares. Nightmares in adults can be caused by certain sleep disorders.