researchers unveiled new results that show just how much night terrors are everywhere and how many types of them exist. Frequently believed to be nothing but a phase of childhood, night terrors are a possible sign of deeper behavioral and emotional problems- and perhaps of genetic origin.
What Are Night Terrors
Night terrors are a kind of parasomnia. They cause a person – usually a child – to suddenly wake up in a state of panic or fear. The night terrors are different from the nightmares that happen during the REM stage of sleep; night terrors occur in the deep NREM stage. This stage is also called slow-wave sleep.
During a night terror, a child might scream, sweat, breathe heavily, or even sit up and appear to be very frightened. However, they usually don’t recall the episode on the following day. In the interim, they are short, but they may be very strong and frightening for both the child and their family.
How Common Are Night Terrors
A piece of recent research from a pediatric sleep research group has found that night terrors are affecting almost 40% of children aged 2.5 to 6 years. On the other hand, the percentage decreases to about 6.5% in older children around the age of 11.
In grown-ups, night terrors are not widespread but they are still a possibility. About 1 to 2 percent of adults may have them, often being caused by stress, trauma, or underlying sleep disorders. That means that although children are more likely to encounter night terrors, they are not always completely gone.
Family History Plays A Role
Researchers currently believe that genetics can be a main cause of night terrors. A review found that the chance of people having them is from zero to ten times of their close relatives’ suffering from parasomnias such as sleepwalking or night terrors.
This family link means that if one sibling or parent has had night terrors, others in the family might also be at risk. Genetics do not mean that someone will have night terrors, but they make the chances higher.
Behavioral and Emotional Factors
A study published in 2023 concluded that children who suffer from night terrors might also be more likely to experience emotional or behavioral problems. Such issues consist of:
- Separation anxiety
- Attention problems
- Aggressive or defiant behavior
- Social withdrawal
- Symptoms similar to psychosis in some situations
According to the specialists, night terrors may be a direct manifestation of inner pressure. They advocate for the evaluation of children who frequently experience night terrors because of potential underlying emotional problems. The treatment of these issues may, ultimately, result in the reduction of both the frequency and the intensity of the night terror episodes.
Main Triggering Factors Of Night Terrors
Researchers of sleep have listed several common triggers that might be responsible for or even worsen night terrors:
- Sleep deprivation: A lack of sleep causes the formation of deeper and more profound sleep abnormalities, which is when the night terrors may be more likely to occur.
- Stress or anxiety: Distress from the evening can be a source of night terrors during the night.
- Fever: A sudden elevation in the body temperature may disturb the normal sleeping period.
- Sleep disorders: Disorders like sleep apnea or restingly legs may interfere with your sleep and increase the risk of night terrors.
Parents may assist in this situation by maintaining a consistent daily rhythm, managing screen time, and resolving emotional predicaments.
What To Do If Your Child Has Night Terrors
Most night terror case needs not any medical interference. Although, the common or the severe cases should not be ignored. If they appear several times a week or when they interfere with the safety, the first step is to talk to a sleep specialist.
The doctors may also ask for a sleep study to monitor brain sleep activity in some cases. Furthermore, treatment with melatonin or other suitable medicines can help to manage the sleep cycle. Moreover, the therapy is significant in the alleviation of stress or anxiety that the child or the family might be experiencing and thus triggering the episodes.
The Bottom Line On Night Terrors
Night terrors can even become something that is severe in the child’s behavior. Night terrors might also be a marker for emotional or genetic issues. With the more profound insight, families and their specialists can join forces to reduce the number of nightmares and, eventually, sleep quality will improve.
Lately, studies have shown that great sleep is not only about how many hours one sleeps. Quality of sleep is a thing even if you don’t have night terrors. It’s something that you should take time for and care for.