Night Terror (also called Pavor Nocturnus and Sleep Terror), is a parasomnia sleep disorder characterized by extreme terror and a temporary inability to regain full consciousness. During a Night Terror episode, a person wakes abruptly from the fourth stage of sleep (a very deep stage of sleep), with waking usually accompanied by gasping, moaning, or even screaming. It is difficult and often impossible to fully wake the person, and after the episode they normally settle back to sleep without waking.

Symptoms of Night Terrors

While each Night Terror is usually different, all episodes by the same person will generally have similar features. One seemingly universal quality of night terrors is a strong sense of danger.

Night Terrors are distinct from nightmares in several key ways:

* The person is not fully awake when roused by a Night Terror episode, even when efforts are made to wake the sleeper, and they may continue to experience the night terror for a prolonged period of 10 or 20 minutes.

* Unlike nightmares, Night Terrors occur during the deepest levels of non-REM sleep.

* Even if wakened the subject can often not remember the Night Terror episode except, perhaps, for a sense of panic, while nightmares are easily recalled.

* Nightmares are frequently dreams about a frightening event, such as a monster under the bed, falling to one's death, drowning, etc. However, Night Terrors are not dreams like this, instead there is no situation or event, scary or otherwise, that is dreamt but rather strong emotions of fear is felt, often with tension and apprehension. These emotions without a focusing event or scenario that make up the dream itself compound and add to each other increasing the emotional build-up with a cumulative effect. As a result, the lack of a dream itself leaves those woken from a night terror in a state of disorientation much more severe than a normal nightmare. This can include a short period of amnesia during which the subject may be unable to recall their name, location, age, or any other personal or identifying features. This confused state generally passes after one or two minutes.

Night Terror episodes may occur frequently for a couple of weeks and then suddenly disappear. Each episode usually occurs during the first couple of hours of sleep. Occasionally, the Night Terror episode can be recalled by the person in the morning, but normally it is not remembered.

This Website is intended to provide assistance and information to people who suffer from Night Terors (Sleep Terror) or are in learning more about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of Night terror, or who may be worried about the possible of friends, family, or relatives from Night Terrors.

While the articles on this Website were written with great care, errors or omissions may occur. The information is provided "as-is", without any warranty whether expressed or implied. All readers agree to use the information provided on this site entirely at their own risk.

The information provided here is for educational purposes only and should not be used as a basis for any form of diagnosis or treatment for any medical condition whatsoever - including Night Terror or Sleep Terror.

Always seek the advice of a professional medical doctor.

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