Night terrors

Night terrors: Sudden terror during sleep

Night terrors (pavor nocturnus) — are a type of parasomnia (sleep disorder) that most commonly occurs in children, typically aged 3 to 7 years. This phenomenon can be extremely frightening for parents. The child suddenly sits up in bed with widely opened, "glass" eyes, screams piercingly, may flail arms, and does not respond to parents and seems not to recognize them. Despite the dramatic picture, night terrors are usually not dangerous and do not indicate a mental illness.

What happens during an episode?

The key feature of night terrors is that they occur during the deep, slow-wave sleep phase (NREM sleep), usually in the first third of the night. This is not a bad dream or nightmare. It is a sudden, incomplete transition from a very deep sleep state to a waking state. Brain centers responsible for movement and emotions become active, while the center responsible for consciousness continues to sleep. That is why the child is unaware of what is happening and does not remember the episode in the morning.

Differences from nightmares

It is important not to confuse night terrors with nightmares:

Feature	Night terrors	Nightmares
Time of occurrence	First half of the night (deep sleep phase)	Second half of the night (REM sleep phase)
Awakening	Child is hard to wake, appears disoriented	Child wakes easily
Memory of the event	Remembers nothing in the morning	Remembers the scary dream and can recount it
Reaction to parents	Does not recognize, may push away	Seeks comfort and reassurance

Triggers for night terrors often include fatigue, stress, high fever, or a new developmental stage.