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Night terror
A night terror, also known as sleep terror or pavor nocturnus, is a parasomniasleep disordercharacterized by extreme terror and a temporary inability to regain full consciousness. The subject wakes abruptly from the fourth stage of sleep, with waking usually accompanied by gasping, moaning, or screaming. It is often impossible to fully awaken the person, and after the episode the subject normally settles back to sleep without waking. Sometimes the night terror can be recalled by the subject. Night terrors are distinct from nightmaresin several key ways. First, the person is not fully awake when roused, and even when efforts are made to awaken the sleeper, they may continue to experience the night terror for over 10 or 20 minutes. Unlike nightmares, night terrors occur during the deepest levels of non-REM sleep. Furthermore even if awakened the subject can often not remember the episode except for a sense of panic, while nightmares are easily recalled. Children from age four to six are most prone to night terrors, and they affect about three percent of all youngsters (although people of any age may experience them). Episodes may recur for a couple of weeks then suddenly disappear. They usually occur during the first couple of hours of sleep. Strong evidence has shown that a predisposition to night terrors can be passed genetically. Though there are a multitude of triggers, emotional stress during the previous day is thought to precipitate most episodes. Ensuring that the right amount of sleep is gained also seems to be important. While each night terror is usually different, all episodes of the same person will generally have similar traits. One seemingly universal quality of night terrors is a strong sense of danger - there is always a being, tangible or otherwise, who wishes to hurt the sleeping person. Many sufferers of night terrors are loathe to speak of them because of their violent, graphic, and sometimes disturbing nature. The consensus for treating night terror episodes is three-pronged: gentleness, disposal of anything nearby that might hurt the subject, and avoiding loud voices or movements that might frighten the subject further. It is also critical to remember that the person experiencing the terror is unaware that they are dreaming. As a result, they may become even more agitated if they are told that "it was just a dream," as they are quite convinced that what they are experiencing is real. Night terrors are so transitory that medical help is often unnecessary, but options may range from treatment of sleep apneato prescription of benzodiazepinesand psychotherapy. The most famous avowed sufferer of night terrors is probably H. R. Giger. External links
Categories: Parasomnia
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