Night terrors in children aged 1-3 years

Night terrors in children aged 1-3 years: Sudden terror in sleep

Night terrors (pavor nocturnus) are a type of parasomnia that most commonly occurs in children, primarily between ages 3 and 7, but can start earlier. This spectacle can be extremely frightening for parents. The child suddenly sits up in bed with widely opened, "glass" eyes, screams piercingly, may flail their arms, and at the same time does not respond to the 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 sleep or a nightmare. It is a sudden, incomplete transition from a state of very deep sleep to a waking state. Brain centers responsible for movement and emotions become activated, 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 night nightmares

It is important not to confuse night terrors with night nightmares. During a night terror the child cannot be awakened or soothed, and may push the parents away. After the episode ends (lasting from a few minutes to half an hour) the child usually falls back to sleep instantly and remembers nothing in the morning. Common triggers for night terrors include fatigue, stress, high fever, or a new developmental stage. Read about the general mechanisms in the article "Night terrors".