Night terrors, known as parasomnia, are a sleep disorder. It can start around 3-4 years of age and continue until adolescence.
The difference between Night Terror and Nightmare
Sleep consists of 2 stages: REM (where dreams are seen) and nonREM (transition to sleep -deep sleep). While nightmares are seen during REM, sleep terror is observed in the 3rd Stage 4 . It is seen during the transition to the stage. (That is, after an average of 90 minutes)
The situation seen in the early period can be more of a nightmare.
In the night terror, the child seems to have woken up, but not really woken up. He is caught between sleep and wakefulness. Consciousness is closed. When he wakes up in the morning, he can’t remember what happened at night. Even if the shouting and excessive movement continues at that moment, take safety measures and help him fall asleep again without trying to force him/her to wake up. Because in night terror, the child will be able to go back to sleep spontaneously as if nothing had happened.
However, they may need you to calm down in the nightmare.
If both situations recur frequently, it is recommended to go to a specialist.
Some neurological and psychiatric diseases and night terrors are very similar; this needs to be distinguished.
What causes night terrors?
There is a deterioration in sleep due to reasons such as febrile diseases, drugs used, and the child’s exposure to periodic stress. The seizure may take 2-3 minutes and it may take up to half an hour for him/her to calm down and fall asleep again.
Signs of sleep terror
Heartbeat and respiration are rapid, sweating may occur. It may seem awake, swinging the body uncontrollably. He can sit on the bed and scream
So what needs to be done?
First of all, parents should keep their calm, take safety measures around, and not wake the child. It can be ensured that the child is put to bed calmly and the child should not be intervened except for behaviors that may harm him/her.
Precautions you can take:
Note the time it took to fall asleep when the sleep terror occurred and the time it started. No matter how long it took after sleep, make sure he wakes up the next day 15 minutes before that time due to either drinking water or going to the toilet. In this way, you will create a change in the sleep cycle. Continue this for a week and consult a neurologist /psychiatrist if it still continues.
Measurements such as EEG and Polysomnography are applications to observe whether there is a change in brain waves or respiration in the case of sleep terror.