Night Terrors (Pavor Nocturnus)

What is it?

Night terrors are episodes of intense fear, screaming, and flailing while still deeply asleep. Unlike nightmares, which occur during REM (dream) sleep, night terrors happen during non-REM deep sleep, usually in the first few hours of the night. The person is not truly awake and will not remember the event. It is most common in children.

Common Symptoms:

• A sudden scream or cry.
• Sitting bolt upright in bed with a look of intense fear or panic.
• Staring wide-eyed, sweating, breathing heavily, with a racing pulse.
• Kicking, thrashing, or aggressive behaviour.
• Unresponsive or difficult to console.
• The episode ends abruptly, and the person falls back into a deep sleep with no memory of it the next day.

Potential Solutions:

The priority is not to intervene forcefully. Do not try to wake the person, as this can increase their confusion and agitation. Simply stay with them to ensure they do not hurt themselves. The most effective long-term solutions involve improving sleep hygiene: maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, ensuring the bedroom is comfortable, and managing daytime stress. For children, ensuring they are not overly tired before bed can significantly reduce the frequency.

When to see a specialist?:

Consult a specialist if the terrors are very frequent (e.g., more than 1-2 times a week), lead to safety concerns, or cause excessive daytime sleepiness for the individual (or major disruption for the family).