Night Terrors
Night terrors are episodes of fear, screaming, or flailing while being asleep. Night terrors differ from nightmares in that an individual with a night terrors remains asleep until the dream until it is over. Night terrors are often brought on by stress , sleep deprivation, depression , anxiety , PTSD , or substance use. Night terrors are uncommon, but usually affect children under the age of 12. However, they can occasionally occur in adults.
During a night terror episode, individuals may:
- Scream or shout
- Sit up in bed and appear frightened
- Sweat, breathe heavily, and have a racing pulse
- Kick and thrash
- Be hard to awaken or be confused when woken
- Be inconsolable after waking
- Have no or little memory of the night terror the next morning
- Sleepwalk
- Have aggressive behaviours if blocked or restrained
How are night terrors treated?
How are night terrors treated?
Relaxation techniques, like mindfulness, may help a person cope with stress
causing night terrors. Additionally, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
may help individuals to address sources of stress or anxiety
causing night terrors.
If you are experiencing night terrors and find them hard to cope with, contact us
for a free 15 minute consultation to see how we can help.
