What is ‘Night Terror’ and How Is It Treated?

What is night terror?

More common in children sleep terror It is a disease sometimes seen in adults. Night terrors seen in deep sleep cause difficulties such as terror, rapid breathing, screaming and crying.

This sleep disorder can last from a few seconds to a few minutes. Sleep terror (parasomnia), which begins to decrease after puberty, can also manifest as sleepwalking and sleep paralysis. Although night terrors are seen as a frightening disease due to its name, it is a sleep disorder that can be treated.

What are the causes of night terrors?

parasomnia Night terrors, also called night terrors, occur as an unwanted behavior during sleep. Although the exact causes are not known, this disease, which is definitely based on the main causes, is thought to occur due to respiratory problems, mental problems and other factors.

Individuals who have breathing difficulties are more likely to experience sleep terrors, and individuals who make more effort to breathe during sleep are triggered by the disease. Night terrors can also be seen in adults with mental problems such as depression, anxiety disorder, and bipolar disorder.

What factors play a role in night terrors?

• Anesthesia
• Tiredness
• antidepressants
• Illnesses with severe fever
• Alcohol
• Substance use
• stress disorders
• Sleep apnea
• Sleeping disorders

Now let’s look at the symptoms of night terrors:

The symptoms of sleep terror may differ according to the character of the person. The person who has an attack during sleep may suddenly wake up and remember everything, or he may not be able to wake up and have to continue sleeping in a groaning form.

Sleep terrors are usually seen during deep sleep at night. When seen in children, although children often do not remember anything about this condition, adults may act more consciously. Night terrors also cause sleepwalking.

• inability to wake up,
• Waking up from a drenched sleep,
• pupil dilation,
• increase in heart rate,
• breathing frequently,
• Don’t wake up screaming,
• Don’t sit in bed without remembering anything.
• Punching and kicking around

may be listed as such. If you or your child has these symptoms, it is recommended that you be examined.

How is night terror diagnosed?

Although it is difficult to diagnose this disease in adults, it is recommended to consult a doctor if the person wakes up tired and sluggish. It is recommended that people who experience sleep terrors and other sleep problems make a note of their dreams or sleep after waking up.

In this way, the doctor can diagnose the disease in an easier form. Alcohol use, working or being in stressful environments, mental illnesses or breathing problems should also be explained in detail.

Can it be diagnosed with a sleep test?

This disease, which affects sleep quality, can sometimes be diagnosed in medical settings, such as in a sleep laboratory. At the same time, this disease should be clearly differentiated from diseases such as epilepsy. For this too sleep test should be done. EEG, EOG and EMG are used in this test. The patient’s blood and heart functions should also be checked.

Since it is necessary to look at the different stages of sleep, the sleep process is divided into certain segments and examined in detail. If epilepsy attacks are not found in these sleep periods, night terrors can be diagnosed.

How are night terrors treated?

Sleep terror, which is less common in adulthood than in childhood, decreases with increasing age. Attacks seen in childhood can be overcome without the need for treatment under supervision. However, if the attacks that frequently interrupt the child’s sleep do not go away in adulthood, help from a therapist should be sought or sleep specialistshould be consulted.

We face many difficulties and these issues can appear as mental illnesses. While the causes of mental illness increase the attacks of sleep terror, the causes of this disease should be investigated in detail and eliminated. mental illnesses too therapeuticallyor with drug therapyis being corrected.

Waking up the individual who has an attack at the same time every day is also a discontinuous way of having a night terror. However, awakening individuals during the attack process is not the truth. This distinction should be made appropriately. It is also a valuable treatment system for people who have had an attack to sleep during the day or to determine a regular sleep time.

If we look at drug treatment, this formula is not preferred much to solve the problem of night terrors in childhood. In adult patients, the use of antidepressants can sometimes be an effective system. Although it is not used in every patient, drug therapy is also one of the preferred methods. If you are experiencing such problems, we recommend that you consult a doctor as soon as possible.